Books & Literature
Tsunami survivor’s account tells of terror
As we remember the devastating flood that swept through Dayton a century ago, it is difficult to grasp the scope of the disaster that took place when flood waters inundated communities across a wide region. No actual eyewitnesses remain.“Wave,” a new book by Sonali Deraniyagala, is the firsthand account of ...
‘Washed Away’ captures 1913’s flood of memories
On March 23, 1913, an outbreak of severe weather across the Midwest cut swaths of destruction through parts of Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana and other states. In Omaha, Neb., a tornado wrecked thousands of buildings and took 140 lives. These grim events were horrifying harbingers of what would transpire in Dayton ...
‘Unknowing’ cleverly slips behind the Iron Curtain
“The Valley of Unknowing,” the new novel by Philip Sington, opens with a forward written by an Irish journalist who explains that the book we are about to read is the last one that was ever written by a German novelist named Bruno Krug.Of course this entire setup is a ...
‘Sharecropper’s Son’ from Dayton writes memoir in his 90s
Every day I hear about new books. I could write this column seven days a week, 365 days a year and I couldn’t cover them all. The book I’m reviewing today merits more notice.Longtime Dayton resident Glenn W. Jackson asked me to read his memoir. He is a black man, ...
The alcohol glass is half full with 2 smart books
“Oh demon alcohol, sad memories I cannot recall.”— “Alcohol” by The Kinks, from the album “Muswell Hillbillies” (1971)Two recent books reminded me of that song lyric by The Kinks. These books depict how excessive alcohol consumption can exact a heavy toll on relationships. By an odd coincidence both books were ...
Authors write (and rewrite) the book on tackling a job
Nothing like hanging out with some of the most successful authors in the country to change your perspective on what it takes to be great.Maybe you’re like I was, assuming there are the haves and the have-nots.The haves would be those super-successful people, in this case, authors, who simply have ...
Witt grad roots out truth on Gennett
Music lovers wax poetic about the creative stew of New Orleans, Creole and Mississippi Delta cultures that produced Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton and Blind Lemon Jefferson.In his excellent revised history of Gennett Records, Rick Kennedy explains how an equally complex mix of economic, social and cultural forces ...
Sharon Short’s ‘My One Square Inch’ has heart
Dayton Daily News “Literary Life” columnist Sharon Short recently published her latest book, “My One Square Inch of Alaska.” Readers who are familiar with her previous works of fiction might anticipate another mystery novel.Short has published nine mysteries, with titles such as “Death by Deep Dish Pie,” “Tie Died and ...
Rankin’s retired detective returns, creating conflicts
Scottish novelist Ian Rankin created a crime-fiction series set in Edinburgh, Scotland. These books featured Detective Inspector John Rebus. He ages Rebus in real time. In 2009 the author broke this reviewer’s heart when he put Rebus out to pasture. The Edinburgh Police had a mandatory retirement age. We knew ...
A surviving member of cult band writes stirring memoir
I remember the first time I heard the band Joy Division. I was clerking in a record store. We stocked imports, records shipped over from England. We received an album called “Unknown Pleasures” by this group called Joy Division.We popped the record onto the turntable (remember those?). We had never ...
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