Tag Archives: writing

“Lords of Misrule” – A Joel D. Hirst Interview in Istanbul

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Joel D. Hirst

I gave an interview to an Istanbul, Turkey based journal on my new novel “Lords of Misrule“. You can read it below – and if you speak Turkish you can go here. 1) How did you decide to write this … Continue reading →

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“Housekeeping” – A Book Review

Posted on February 12, 2017 by Joel D. Hirst

“And let God purge this wicked sadness away with a flood, and let the waters recede to pools and ponds and ditches, and let every one of them mirror heaven. Still, they taste a bit of blood and hair.” Children … Continue reading →

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Camus “The Fall” – A Book Review

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Joel D. Hirst

“I always hope, in fact, that my interlocutor will be a policeman and that he will arrest me for the theft of ‘The Just Judges’.” Seems to me that Camus thought a great deal of himself – which is apparent … Continue reading →

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Bad Books Crowding Out the Good Ones

Posted on January 18, 2017 by Joel D. Hirst

Most writers live in their own little utopias. I suppose that’s what differentiates a good writer from a mediocre one – the good writer builds a world for himself where he’d rather be; drama and passion and violence and purpose … Continue reading →

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A POWERFUL COUNTER-EXTREMISM NOVEL: Lords of Misrule by Joel D. Hirst

Posted on January 17, 2017 by Joel D. Hirst

The most recent review of my new novel “Lords of Misrule“: “Lords of Misrule by Joel Hirst is the first literary novel I have read that reflects the motivations and consequences of Jihadist movements in the post-colonial Africa. Being a … Continue reading →

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Magical Realism – Leslie Tate Interviews Joel D. Hirst

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

Below I am re-blogging an interview I did for Leslie Tate’s web site (where you can find the original). Leslie is an author and a poet and also blogs extensively, including about Magical Realism. From her site: “Leslie studied Creative Writing … Continue reading →

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The End of the Story of Venezuela’s Self-Government

Posted on October 22, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

When does a democracy die? At what point in time do historians document the rupture? And when do the writers pen the epitaph of a people’s struggles for self-government? This has been the debate that has raged over Venezuela for … Continue reading →

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The Pen Vs. The Blunt-Object Holders

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

I write a lot about politics these days; and I think about it a lot too, probably more than I should. I suppose we all do though. Not partisan politics however, at least not for me. Hit pieces against what … Continue reading →

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I Almost Stopped Writing Today

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Joel D. Hirst

There’s a scene in The Fountainhead where the main protagonists are lounging around inside a makeshift shed on a construction site discussing their impetus for continuing on in their art. It wasn’t really going well for them. Sculpting, architecture – … Continue reading →

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