Category Archives: fiction

Debt bill destroys America. Who’s next for a swim?

Posted on August 4, 2011 by oddmanout215

I’m on the home stretch with my novel-in-progress Good Sal/Bad Sal, set in casino-era Atlantic City. One of the final chapters starts with Good Sal asking: Have you ever let the cold surf creep between your toes and thought what’s … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, fiction, Great Recession, livable cities, NJ, Philadelphia, The New Depression | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bikeless in Philadelphia — again

Posted on July 28, 2011 by oddmanout215

I rarely blog about myself. I prefer the veneer of fiction when it comes to personal matters, so when my bicycle was stolen Monday, I blogged about the thieves in business and government who prosper at the expense of the … Continue reading →

Posted in bicycling, economic collapse, fiction, Goldman Sachs, Great Recession, livable cities, Philadelphia, The New Depression | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Bastille Day for the well-fed

Posted on July 19, 2011 by oddmanout215

The crowd called for Marie Antoinette’s head, they bellowed for it, but in the end the only guillotine victim was a watermelon. The master of ceremonies sentenced the French queen to become Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new housekeeper, not a bad fate … Continue reading →

Posted in economic collapse, fiction, food, Great Depression, Great Recession, mainstream media, Philadelphia, Politics, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hemingway was right — Big Brother was watching

Posted on July 3, 2011 by oddmanout215

Yes, Ernest Hemingway suffered from depression that grew more acute as he realized his best writing years were behind him. Very late in life he also was plagued by paranoia — i.e., by the notion that the FBI was monitoring … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, fiction, mainstream media, New York Times, Obama, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Father’s Day works better as fiction

Posted on June 24, 2011 by oddmanout215

[This one got lost in the shuffle, but I’m guessing my legion of readers won’t mind that it’s a week late.] One of the pleasures of writing a novel is you can decide when and how things happen. For instance, … Continue reading →

Posted in fiction, pop music | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

‘Low-stoop’ fiction writer seeks agent, brand

Posted on May 16, 2011 by oddmanout215

Citations from an article about the importance of tireless self-promotion in trying to establish a brand for your work: For artists, the great problem to solve is how to get oneself noticed. — Honore de Balzac, Lost Illusions Great success … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, fiction, mainstream media, Philadelphia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lumet’s gone, but ‘Network’ is forever

Posted on April 10, 2011 by oddmanout215

Reading of Sidney Lumet’s death, I thought of Al Pacino chanting “Attica! Attica!” to rouse the rabble in Dog Day Afternoon; of Henry Fonda, with Obama-like cool, shrugging off Lee J. Cobb’s bully tactics in Twelve Angry Men; of Jerry … Continue reading →

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Snooki hits back at critic of her Rutgers gig

Posted on April 3, 2011 by oddmanout215

From nj.com: What’s worth more? A commencement speech by a Nobel-winning novelist? Or a pair of Q&A sessions with one of reality television’s biggest stars? At Rutgers University, Snooki edges out Toni Morrison by a couple thousand dollars. Last month, … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, fiction, NJ | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

This weekend — the Phillies or ‘The Loser’

Posted on April 2, 2011 by oddmanout215

From the late Austrian Thomas Bernhard’s novel The Loser, in which a fictional version of Glenn Gould has studied piano with two would-be virtuosos, Wertheimer and the narrator, who have both quit playing because they were psychologically damaged by the … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, autobiography, fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sweet nothings? No thanks, I’m full

Posted on February 14, 2011 by oddmanout215

“All I have to do is remember and imagine the rustle of your skirt and I’m ready to chew my own hands off.” — Aleksei to Polina in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Gambler Exactly. What a relief from the Valentine’s Day … Continue reading →

Posted in fiction, mainstream media | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments