Monthly Archives: November 2014

Is “One Hundred Years of Solitude” Gibberish?

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Joel D. Hirst

So this will not be a usual blog, mostly because I have several secrets to reveal. For somebody who pretends to be a novelist – and a novelist of magical realism to boot – they are probably things that should … Continue reading →

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The Little Red Hen

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Joel D. Hirst

Yesterday my son grabbed onto my knee and pulled me over to squat on the floor in front of his little library. Amidst works of Dr. Seuss, Max Lucado, Clifford and Donald Duck he pulled out “The Little Red Hen”. … Continue reading →

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The fall of Communism and Our Unfinished Work

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Joel D. Hirst

It was twenty-five years ago today that the cold war came to an end. Communism as a political and economic model was finally bankrupt; morally and spiritually destroyed from within as it succumbed to the inevitable results of its unworkable … Continue reading →

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You Must Not Go Back There

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Joel D. Hirst

“Ah, Venezuela, very bad” the old man lifted his cane, simulating a machine gun, “pa pa pa pa. Very bad!”  My wife and I had been walking down a narrow alley between houses in the old town of Peniche, Portugal … Continue reading →

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“Luz” A Novel by Luis Gonzalez – A Book Review

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Joel D. Hirst

It takes a lot of courage to write about something tragic that has changed your life, especially something out of your control.  We are so personally invested that too often we get carried away and our writing suffers.  Filled with … Continue reading →

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