Vince’s first novel is titled Paperboy, and it’s the story of a boy growing up in Memphis who has a stutter. Vince himself is a stutterer, and the story rings true on every page. The novel was a Newberry Honor Award winner, and the Washington Post said: “[Vawter’s] characterization of Little Man feels deeply authentic, with . . . […]
Tag Archives | Point Spread
‘The Feminine Mystique’ and the change in women’s status in the 1960s
The book summed up many of the frustrations that middle-class women had experienced, especially if they had set aside ambitions and careers to become suburban housewives and mothers. From the day it was published, it sparked criticism from many quarters (and continues to do so today), but it struck a chord with many women and […]
A ‘day’ becomes a ‘date’; Poe’s rules for detective fiction; a little bit of Henry Fowler
This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (4,140) on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Hi, Last week’s question: Were there no Americans before 1776? An answer came in from newsletter reader and good friend Jane P: There were many Americans long before 1776, in the numerous Native American societies and groups across what became the […]
Jean Ritchie and the dulcimer revival — and much more; your pet peeves about English
This newsletter was sent to those on Jim’s email list (4,189) on Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. Hi, Last week’s entry about America’s first published poet, Anne Bradstreet, brought this from one of our newsletter readers, Robin K., who has done a good bit of genealogical research on her family: I thought that name looked familiar – I’m […]
More about true crime podcasts; Fowler’s English classic; and giveaways galore
This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (4,261) on Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. Hi, The county where I live, Blount (pronounced blunt) is home to a part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Smokies are beautiful any time of the year but especially so during the fall foliage season, which has […]
Another reader on free expression; Anger as temporary madness
This newsletter was sent to all those on Jim’s newsletter list (3,873) on Friday, Nov. 3, 2017. Hi, Where did English come from? The origins of English are many and varied. If you don’t know much about it, there’s a great sub-five-minute video from Open Culture embedded at the top of the JPROF.com website. Gardening is a year-round activity: I spent […]
Readers respond with their best reads of the summer; A superb collection of mystery/thrillers for 99 cents
This newsletter was sent to the subscribers (3,582) to Jim’s email list on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017. Hi, Don’t forget the victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Many people are suffering now that the storms have passed. My favorite charity is the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR.org). Please make a contribution to yours. I am […]
September sale begins now; Max and Woody are back
This newsletter was sent to Jim’s email list (3,070) on Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. East Tennessee survived the eclipse. So did the rest of the world. Glad you’re still here. September sale These titles have been marked down for a special sale that will run through at least the second week in September. Here’s a chance for […]
A riveting one-hour read (free); Max and Woody are back
This newsletter was sent to all of the people on Jim’s email list (2,539) on Friday, Aug. 18, 2017. Hi, Greetings from East Tennessee. I hope your week has been a good one. A riveting one-hour read (free, of course) Virginia King is an Australian author I have been doing some promotion with, and she has […]
Reviews, they always help; Battlelines: the complete Gettysburg
Jim Stovall’s email newsletter for July 14, 2017 Hi there, I hope you’ve had a good week and are looking forward to the weekend. Reviews Writers always want people to read their books, and they want their readers to love what they read. But what the writer needs is honesty. That’s why I alway suggest […]
Revelations by scholastic journalists come by just ‘looking it up’
“You can look it up.” If you remember anything about baseball in the 1950s (and fewer and fewer of us do), you would remember Casey Stengel’s famous conclusion to almost all of his long soliloquies to surrounding newsmen. Stengel was the manager of the New York Yankees, and his teams won pennant after pennant in […]
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