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Can you believe it? Al Franken has been declared the victor in that highly disputed US Senate race in Minnesota.
Franken, a distinctively offensive humorist, the author of books like Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot, has actually vanquished the incumbent, Norm Coleman. Amazing!
Continue reading "Al Franken is a big fat US SENATOR!"...
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Barack Obama isn’t the only guy who loves to sneak a puff of the stinky weed now and then. For the past eight years it has been rumored that First Lady Laura Bush is another devotee of that sweet nicotine buzz…
It has even been claimed that she likes to smoke one ciggie after another. That’s right, they say that Laura Bush is a chain smoker….
Perhaps her new memoir will shed some light on where one hides when one really craves a puff around the White House? Do they have a special smoking shed discreetly concealed in the Rose Garden?
Barack Obama wants to know….
Continue reading "will Laura Bush reveal her secret passion?"...
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“The Dart League King” by Keith Lee Morris, (Tin House Books, 270 pages, $14.95)
With so many books to choose from, how do you decide which ones to read? I like to ask people what books they have enjoyed. When I interview authors I usually ask them for reading suggestions.
One of my favorite books from the past year was “Knockemstiff” by Donald Ray Pollock. This collection of short stories was set in a rural community in southern Ohio. Pollock knows how much I liked his book. The other day he suggested that I might enjoy “The Dart League King” by Keith Lee Morris.
Pollock says that “people will be reading ‘The Dart League King’ for years to come. I’d wager a 12-pack on it.” I had never heard of Morris so Pollock’s recommendation led me to a novel I probably would not have read otherwise.
The story unfolds on a Thursday night — dart night in Garnet Lake, Idaho. Most of the action revolves around a dart league having a match at a bar called the 321 Club.
Morris assembles a cast of characters who circulate through the tavern. Each character portrays the action taking place from his or her point of view. There’s almost a cinematic quality to the way time elapses. As each chapter opens the action is rewound an extra notch to the last moments from the previous chapter.
This technique gives the story a herky-jerky quality that becomes rather hypnotic. Morris ratchets up the heat and the friction until the tension is so tightly twisted that these characters and his readers are all just about ready to scream.
Morris imagines characters that are so real, so human, so vulnerable, so damaged, that we feel like we are learning the dirty little secrets we always wanted to know about people we have observed but never really understood.
There’s Russell Harmon. He’s the Dart League King of the title. Russell’s got a bit of a drug problem. He’s a small-time drug peddler working a job he hates, cutting down trees in the timber industry. His only happiness comes from being the best dart player in town.
Vince Thompson is Russell’s cocaine supplier. Vince is 42 years old and angry. Russell owes Vince a lot of money. As the dart tournament begins Vince is trying to decide whether he’s angry enough to do Russell serious harm.
Tristan Mackey is a member of Russell’s dart team. He seems to have everything going his way but he’s really just a huge mess. Brice Habersham is actually the best dart player in town. Brice has a big secret. And Kelly Ashton can’t decide between Russell or Tristan.
The most compelling characters — Russell, Vince, and Kelly — share a common bond; they miss their fathers. Vince, the enraged drug dealer, talks to himself in a nonstop stream of profanity that is somehow amazingly endearing.
The darts fly. This book breaks your heart in the end with a hair-rising descent into darkness. Keith Lee Morris hits the bullseye with “The Dart League King.”
Vick Mickunas
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This morning in Yellow Springs I opened the door of the Post Office as a gentleman was making his exit. He would be familiar to most Ohioans; as our former US Senator and as John McCain’s Ohio campaign chairman.
I greeted him. Our former Senator wished me a Happy New Year. Over the years I have interviewed a few current and former US Senators; John Glenn of Ohio, Gary Hart of Colorado, Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, Barbara Boxer of California….I have even interviewed the family members of politicians; Jenna Bush, Marilyn Quayle, Connie Schultz (she is married to our current US Senator - the guy who beat the guy I saw today)….
Continue reading "down at the Post Office…"...
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Amazon.com has posted their list of best selling stuff from last year. It provides a fascinating look at what Americans were buying.
Their best selling book was “Breaking Dawn” by Stephenie Meyer (The Twilight Saga, Book 4).
The book that got the most positive customer review response was “The Revolution: A Manifesto” by Ron Paul.
Their best selling electronic device was their paperless reading device, the Amazon Kindle.
There are some amazing items listed. For example, their best selling item in the Home & Garden category was something called the Oster 4207 electric wine opener….
Continue reading "Amazon.com announces best sellers from 2008"...
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The prolific novelist Donald Westlake has died. Here’s a report from the New York Times:
Continue reading "Remembering Donald Westlake"...
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New Year’s Day provides some quiet time to reflect on the events of the past year. I have been recalling the good times and the bad.
Here are some of the things that impressed me during 2008……
Continue reading "the best and worst of 2008"...
Permalink | Comments (9) | Post your comment More: booms and busts
Book Nook provides readers with insights into the world of books. Vick Mickunas takes you into the center of the publishing world with the latest book buzz, book reviews, and exclusive chats with authors..
Vick Mickunas reviews books for the Dayton Daily News.
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Transatlantic commercial telephone service began on this day in 1927. 82 years later your iPhone helps you send videos of funny dogs to best friends and total strangers all over the world. Life is good. Now use that cell phone to help you plan your night out. » ActiveDayton.com alerts
Here's where you get to tell the world what you think. Every week you get to vote on the best that the Dayton area has to offer in entertainment, restaurants, recreation & and a few other bizarro categories.
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Whether he's doing stand-up comedy, starring in his new reality program or appearing in feature films, funnyman Eddie Griffin leaves an indelible impression. The Kansas City native performs at the Funny Bone Comedy Club Friday and Saturday, Jan. 9 and 10. Griffin is known for movie roles in films including "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo," "Norbit" and "Scary Movie 3" as well as the UPN television series "Malcolm & Eddie." He also has appeared on commercials for Miller Beer's Man Laws. More »
Who hasn't wanted to grow younger? Brad Pitt gets that chance as Benjamin Button, who is born an old man in 1918 New Orleans and ages in reverse. In so doing he becomes intimately familiar with the natures of love and death. More »
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Before 2009 settles in, let's take a look back — fondly — at some of the best, most memorable meals of 2008 with some help from our food critic. Don't let anyone proclaim that we can't find decent grub in this part of Ohio. These meals were extraordinary, so add these destinations and dishes to your to-do list for 2009. More »
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Just pulled this from the Wall Street Journal’s letters to the editor [may be hard to read after