Literary Interviews
- Jess’s Book Pick for June: Mr. Bridge by Evan S. ConnellIn April, I had selected the great novel Mrs. Bridge, and of course, I can’t recommend that, without his great second book, Mr. Bridge.
- Jess’s Book Pick for May: The Philosopher and the Wolf: Lessons in Love, Death, and Happiness by Mark Rowlands.Now available in paperback courtesy of Pegasus, the product description notes the following:
- Jess’s Book Pick for April: Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. ConnellMy book selection for April is as follows: Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell. I think this book, along with his Mr. Bridge, are two underrated American Classics.
- Jess’s Book Pick for March: McTeague by Frank NorrisFrank Norris is in the same camp of writers as that of Theodore Dreiser. Published in 1899, this book addresses greed like none other. Norris died at the age of 32, unfortunately.
- Jess’s Book Pick for February: Sister Carrie by Theodore DreiserI had this book on my ‘to read’ pile for a while, but when I finally got around to reading it, I was astounded by how fresh and modern Dreiser’s writing was.
- Jess’s Book Pick for January: One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey by Richard ProennekeI wanted to start the New Year with something a bit different, and so this month I am choosing "One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey" by Richard Proenneke.
- Jess’s Book Pick for December: Revolutionary Road by Richard YatesOK, I know the book selection has gotten off to a late start this month, but I’d like to promote this excellent novel by Richard Yates.
- Jess’s Book Pick for November: Big Fish by Daniel WallaceThis book won me over the first time I read it. The full title is: Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions, and if you recall there was a film made a few years ago, but I’m here to talk about the book.
- Jess’s Book Pick for October: Anne of Green Gables by L. M. MontgomeryI decided to return to a classic this month. This young adult novel is such a delightful one, I wanted to spread the word.
- Jess’s Book Pick for September: Sci-Phi: Philosophy from Socrates to Schwarzenegger by Mark RowlandsTo start off, I picked a non-fiction book that discusses the philosophical elements present in many Sci-Fi films.
- A year in books: recapI thought I’d do a recap of the year’s worth of books I’ve selected for my little club here. Not everything has to be Harry Potter or Oprah (shiver) so why not revisit some of these great selections?
- Jess’s Book Club Pick for July: The Naked Ape by Desmond MorrisI’ve wanted to resurrect this 1967 classic for a while now. Imagine thinking about the human species as an animal.
- Jess’s Book Club Pick for June: I Am Legend by Richard MathesonYes I know this has been made into a very popular film, one of which I’ve not seen. But here’s the thing: the book the film is taken from is a great book.
- Jess’s Book Club Pick for May: Dubliners by James JoyceIf you are groaning, just wait. Let me begin by saying that if you’ve never gotten around to reading James Joyce, and you’ve had an inkling to do so, Dubliners would be the pick for you.
- Jess’s Book Club Pick For April: US Guys: The True and Twisted Mind of the American Man by Charlie LeDuffThis month I decided to go with Charlie LeDuff’s US Guys: The True and Twisted Mind of the American Man.
- Jess’s Book Club Pick for March: Siddhartha by Hermann HesseIt’s that time again. This month I’ve decided to go with Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. The book is readily available (you can probably find it at any new or used bookstore), yet I’ve chosen the specific Dover Thrift Edition.
- Jess’s Book Club Pick For February: Betty Smith by Valerie Raleigh YowM&C has recently featured both a book review of Betty Smith: Life of the Author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as well as an interview with the author Valerie Raleigh Yow.
- Jess’s Book Club Pick for January: Ward No. 6 and Other Stories by Anton ChekhovLet us start off the New Year with a return to the Classics. Most know him as a playwright, but he is actually a great short sorry writer as well. I picked up this collection a while back at a local Barnes and Noble and found the tales to be surprisingly Modern and ahead of its time.
- Jess's Book Club Pick for December: The Force and the Reckoning by James EmanuelThe Force and the Reckoning. What is it about? Emanuel can be argued as “The Greatest Neglected Poet of the 20th Century.
- Jess's Book Club Pick for November: Whole Grain by James A. Emanuel
Emanuel can be argued as “The Greatest Neglected Poet of the 20th Century.” More can be read on Emanuel in this great, in-depth interview here.
- Jess's Book Club Pick for October: Embers, by Sándor MáraiJess’s book club selection for the October month is Embers, by Sándor Márai published by Knopf.
- Jess's Book Club Pick For SeptemberJess’s book club selection for the September month is Richard Wright’s Native Son, published by HarperPerennial.
- Jess's Book Club Pick For AugustM&C is going to be starting a monthly book club selection. This month’s pick is Betty Smith’s novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Below, you will see ten questions about the book that readers can discuss. Those readers whose questions are selected for further questions for the book club may receive a free copy of the book from the publisher.
- The M&C Interview 1: Charles Johnson, 6/07M&C Books Editors Dan and Jessica Schneider get the National Book Award-winning author Charles R. Johnson to speak out on his career, literature's sad state, Buddhism, Rod Serling, and deliteracy.
