Reader Views

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: From the Secret Files of Harry Pennypacker

Author Michael B. Druxman was fortunate enough to connect with Stuart Bloomberg, a young film maker who discovered files of deceased top newspaper columnist Harry Pennypacker. Bloomberg promised the stories were sensational and Druxman found they certainly were. Inspired by the sensationalism and possible exposure of well-known Hollywood entities, Druxman compiled the stories into his book "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: From the Secret Files of Harry Pennypacker."

I was totally amazed at what "truths" came out about well-known legends such as Elvis, John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, and others. Did you know in reality John Wayne, was not Marion Morrison but Mendel Skulnick? Yes, that’s right. According to Harry Pennypacker and his extensive knowledge of the Hollywood scene, Mendal Skulnick was John Wayne. Mind you, Skulnick was nowhere near the size of The Duke but with prosthetics, padding and makeup he was able to emulate the figure we know as John Wayne.

And, did you know Elvis was…and James Dean didn’t die young as we know it to be. In reality he …. Well, I’m actually not going to tell you what happened to these two; you’ll just have to find out for yourself.

Druxman is a great storyteller, or is he? Did he actually copy the stories that Pennybacker wrote? Who knows, but, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: From the Secret Files of Harry Pennypacker" is a great read. You’ll laugh, you’ll ponder, and you’ll wonder. Are these truths? Embellished truths? Or, are they some stories concocted in the mind of Druxman. You will have to decide for yourself.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Michael B. Druxman
Wheatmark (2009)
ISBN 9781604941883
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (5/09)

Holidays on Ice

Really, really good short stories are really, really rare. "Holidays on Ice" is one of those rare treats. DO NOT PACK IT AWAY WITH THE ARTIFICIAL CHRIST MAS TREE – LEAVE IT OUT YEAR-ROUND!

When you begin the book reading "Santa Land Diaries" you imagine yourself right there in elf hell and from that point on you are hooked. How can you take yourself serious when you are an elf? Each story after that will make you smile and relish the wit of the writer.

Regardless of your religious beliefs, holidays are stressful for everyone. Tuck "Holidays on Ice" by David Sedaris into your bag and purchase a few extra copies for those on your list; you will be well on your way to a more relaxed season. A bit of alcohol would help, just for good measure.

Holidays on Ice
David Sedaris
Little Brown and Company (2008)
ISBN 9780316035903
Reviewed by Danelle Drakefor Reader Views (10/08)

A Pig in the Rumble Seat and other short stories

Edward Hujsak has assembled an amazing collection of stories from his own life as well as a broad range of tales of the 1930s depression era in his book "A Pig in the Rumble Seat." His short stories showcase his highly imaginative creative side. He is laugh-out-loud funny, highly intelligent, and a skillful writer. These attributes came through in his stories, "Escape" and "The Toy." I especially enjoyed his insights into human nature in "Tatiana." I was not ready for the unexpected surprised ending in "The Sub."

Set in the Northeast in New England and in the Southwest in San Diego, Hujsak has included well-crafted personal experiences from his engineering career in the field of rocketry. His specialty was in propulsion. He has also included a wide range of subject matter, and varied writing styles. His writing includes science fiction, poetry, and parody. As a gifted story teller, Hujsak has taken time to hone his skill in the art and craft of writing.

The book is a melding of memories I could identify with: the ice truck with the ice tongs, and the old kitchen ice box, the quick war-time marriages, and the off-key choirs of aging men and women singing their hearts out during Sunday worship.

I found the first-person accounts of life on the farm especially enjoyable, "The Still," The Ubiquitous Fordson Tractor," and "Trucks." The ongoing effort of Pa trying to appease Ma was humorous and so true of most marriages. I was very touched with the account of Carl in "The Parting." "A Pig in the Rumble Seat" highlights Hujsak’s subtle humor and genius for using word pictures that enhance the reader’s visualization of every detail of the each incident in the story.

Hujsak’s poetry is well worth pondering, beautiful, contemplative thoughts on nature, the Cuban Missle Crisis, the results of applied force, and the promise of life. His care for details in his fictional pieces and his use of regional and ethnic dialects in his dialog add realism to his stories.

I was awed by the photos included of the Tiger team, standing in front of Atlas with the first Centaur upper stage and the liftoff of Atlas Model "E" from Vandenberg Air Force Base and found the accounts of this era filled with interesting facts new to me.

Articulate and brilliant, Hujsak is a natural communicator with a gift for telling stories that keep you "listening" or in this case reading. "A Pig in the Rumble Seat" is excellent entertainment, refreshing, and skillfully packed with a balance of information and story.

A Pig in the Rumble Seat and other short stories
Edward Hujsak
Mina-Helwig Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9781886133105
Reviewed by Richard R Blake for Reader Views (10/08)

A Guitar and a Pen: Stories by Country Music’s Greatest Songwriters

You are flipping through the radio stations and all of a sudden you hear a country song which tells an interesting story. You are saddened when the song ends because you wish you could hear the whole story rather than just a brief part of it which lasts only three or four minutes. Do you wish there was a place where you could read some "feel good" stories like those you hear in a country song?

Now there is a place where you can do just that. "A Guitar and a Pen" brings together some of the brightest country songwriters who take on another role -- rather than just writing songs, they tell stories. Some of the songwriters who have taken part in the creation of this delightful book are: Kris Kristofferson, Tom T Hall and Charlie Daniels. You will experience a small farming town with a most unusual natural wonder. You will discover how someone is inspired to become a musician and songwriter.

"A Guitar and a Pen" is a wonderfully entertaining book for anyone who loves a good story. You don’t even have to be a fan of country western music to enjoy this book. If you are already a fan, you will certainly fall in love with this treasury. With all its individual stories, this is the type of book from which you can read a short story on your lunch hour and be encouraged all day.

With a delightful book like "A Guitar and a Pen" on your shelf, you will be refreshed and awaiting the next collection of stories!

A Guitar and a Pen
Edited by Robert Hicks, John Bohlinger and Justin Stelter
Center Street (2008)
ISBN 9781599950648
Reviewed by Lori Plach for Reader Views (9/08)

Introducing...

"Introducing..." consists of several short stories focusing on twins Jake and Jade who live on a ranch in Montana. Jake was injured by a bull in 2000 and as a result has been left mute. He also now suffers from seizures. Many of the stories focus on the difficulties he now faces and his efforts to keep active and involved in running the ranch. Also highlighted is the special "twin bond" they share and how Jade eventually learns that she must let Jake go so he can make it on his own.

This is a very inspirational story. Despite many health-related setbacks, Jake continued to persevere to be successful. The unconditional love and support from his family and friends was heartwarming. Jake was treated as any other individual, which teaches an important lesson. Everyone has value and can contribute to society. This book will help those who spend time around people with disabilities. It can also teach young people that everyone has his own talents and those who are different still deserve to be respected.

My favorite story was the one entitled "Construction." The author skillfully demonstrates the contrasts of a project under construction. She reminds the reader that the beginning phases of a project involve breaking up or tearing down what currently exists. However, at its completion, something beautiful arises to replace the ugliness that had been. This is an excellent comparison to the recovery of an individual who has experienced a traumatic event and has risen up to overcome its obstacles.

I did have some slight difficulties with this story. Although it is set in modern times (the years 2000-2008); for some reason the descriptions and lifestyle made me think it was set in the early 1900s. Also, more editing should be done. There were several spelling errors and uses of the wrong word (especially there and their). Lastly, the author, at times, goes overboard on the use of alliteration.

"Introducing..." will appeal to both males and females. It can help teach people about the effects of seizures and other head injuries and promote an understanding of the difficulties people who experience these conditions face. It will leave the reader feeling inspired and thankful for the blessings that are present in his or her own life.

Introducing...
Neebeeshaabookway
Xlibris Corporation (2007)
ISBN 9781425761035
Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (9/08)

Invasion of the Bible Thumpers: Tales of the North Woods and Other Places

Jammed tight from cover-to-cover with loggers, lumberjacks, crew workers and big-butt waitresses, is “Invasion of the Bible Thumpers,” by Skookum Maguire. A story it has about life and country-folk, that will almost get you dirty and able to smell the rain and pine just by opening the book.  Nine short stories of lives that are lived, dreams that fall apart, and antics that will kill you, they are fun to read and learn from. The voice of Maguire is stout and rich in quality that is also a treat. Each story was deep, and engulfing yet when the last page of the book was done, the short stories came together as a joined unit. Nothing is given freely; the characters have a common thread of grit, dirt and crudeness to them. The harsh reality is what is lived, and they would die to keep it that way. Each story is incredible and endearing in its own way, but the theme: live your life, you won’t get another, screams like a hard-core rock-star. The life that is hard-lived is the life of quality, yet it is not a life that is given, but one that must be fought for.

Enjoyable, down-to-earth and honest, the “Invasion of the Bible Thumpers” is one that once picked up, dived in to and pages are turned, the reader will not want to abandon it part way. The stories that stayed with me were: A Time for Mourning, Newspapers and Invasion of the Bible Thumpers. Maguire does an exceptional job of portraying the loggers, construction workers, and down-to-earth Oregonians and I should know since I am a true Northwesterner myself, with grandparents on both sides being loggers and farmers of this sweet, wet land.

The one thing that was difficult was that the rest of the stories (besides the three mentioned above) really did not stand out significantly. I enjoyed them, but Maguire’s characters became too similar, too generic. A book of short stories to me is about variety, diversity, switching-it-up and the ability to go deep fast and keep the reader there too. The three stories I mentioned above were like that for me, but the rest seemed weak, and I did not develop that deep interest in the people whom the story was about. Almost like I was reading a story about an extra in a movie and the action was really somewhere off to the right or left. The book was good, and the stories that I enjoyed I really enjoyed, the others were just nothing extra-ordinary. I would recommend “Invasion of the Bible Thumpers,” especially to people I know from the grand 'ol Pacific Northwest just based on the stories that I did like. So over all, it was good, not great.

Invasion of the Bible Thumpers
Skookum Maguire
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595448142
Reviewed by Bethany L. Canfield for Reader Views (6/08)

Politics Noir: Dark Tales from the Corridors of Power

“Politics is a blood sport the public follows 24/7,” Gary Phillips states in the introduction of “Politics Noir.”  During an election season such as this one, politics can be dirty, disgusting, and frustrating.  While he could not possibly have predicted the drawn-out nature of the Democratic Primary, Phillips picked a perfect year to solicit stories about the darker side of politics. 

There are a wide variety of stories contained in “Politics Noir.”  In his introduction, Phillips maintains that he gave the other authors no direction other than the title of the book, and they all knew where to go from there.  The stories are primarily focused in the United States, or around U.S. politics, with a single story representing ‘politics noir’ in Ireland.  The stories run the gamut from presidential scandals and presidential races to small town elections and the politics of race on a very local level. 

My appreciation of the stories varied somewhat, more due to my interest in some themes over others than to any deficiency in the writing.  Perhaps my favorite story was “Collateral Damage” by Robert Greer.  This was the story of two presidential candidates, locked in a race for their party’s nomination.  The candidates are Hannah Rossmore Stenton, wife of a deceased Senator who had been corrupt and womanizing in life, and Broderick Losomma, son of a white father and black mother.  Clearly, this is a blatant retooling of the 2008 Democratic nomination race, which I found interesting since the current race is still going on, as of the writing of this review.  I also quite enjoyed the story-telling style of Michele Martinez in her story, “Ambition.” 

By and large, the stories in “Politics Noir,” in addition to simply chronicling corruption and vice, do so in a traditional ‘noir’ style, reminiscent of early 20th century crime fiction.  Like so much pulp literature, there was a good deal of sex, violence, and foul language of which readers should be aware before picking this book up.  Overall, I think those that will be most interested in this book are those who are fans of noir literature and those who are very interested in, but cynical about, politics.

Politics Noir
Edited by Gary Phillips
Verso (2008)
ISBN 9781844671618
Reviewed by Jen Cardwell for Reader Views (5/08)

Last Call

Blair Oliver has given us all an opportunity to see that sometimes what we see isn’t really so. We come into relationships, jobs and social situations with rose-colored glasses on and it isn’t until a crisis happens that we really see what is going on.

Through several short stories, Oliver has shown that we as individuals are really “noble savages” that believe all is good in the world and no one would ever intentionally hurt us. Through nine stories, issues such as not discussing what is happening in relationships, moving into a house you really don’t want to live in, or being sociable to people you really don’t care about involves all of us at one time or another. Why do we feel the need to please everyone but ourselves? Each story is entertaining but at the same time makes one think about their life – are we living a lie?

The reader felt right at home with all the characters in these stories. I could imagine being in their house or their relationship from the way Oliver described every nook and cranny. What I liked best about “Last Call” is that it made me re-think my priorities.

Last Call
Blair Oliver
World Audience, Inc. (2007)
ISBN 9781934209745
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer for Reader Views (5/08)

Stories at the Edge of Time

I’ll be the first to admit that short stories usually cannot hold my attention for very long. More often than not I’ll read one or two in a collection; then decide that they are all the same anyhow and I’ll give up. Well, this was not the case with Alan Robbins’ collection of science-fiction short stories “Stories at the Edge of Time.” The nineteen stories held my attention throughout the entire collection and I enjoyed them immensely.

The stories are diverse and extremely engaging. Most of them seem to deal with time, be it the passage of time, the relativity of it or some other aspect of it. They are all fresh and very different from each other, yet linked by superb writing and boundless imagination. It would be a tough call to decide which of the stories could be my favorite. Part of me would be in favor of “Sudden Insight,” the story of a mathematician on the brink of a huge discovery – which never happens. Or maybe it could be “The Dead Got It Good,” of the “suave detective and hard-nosed dame” genre that I’ve always enjoyed so much in the vintage detective novels. But wait, we cannot forget “The Time Phone!” Would it not be nice to be able to telephone into the future? Or would it be? Then we have “Uncle Jack Eats a Mummy,” a very insightful story about immortality. If this one does not make you stop and think, you are probably beyond help. While all of those stories I’ve just named, as well as all the rest of them, enchanted me, amused me and made me wonder, I would probably pick “The Edge of Time” if I truly had to pick one only. As an avid reader I love the premise of stories and reading being able to change our fate – and that’s exactly what happens in “The Edge of Time.”

So – pick “Stories at the Edge of Time” and immerse yourself in it – I am pretty certain that your universe will experience a little shift as well.

Stories at the Edge of Time
Alan Robbins
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595471072
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (3/08)

Uncensored Emotions

“Uncensored Emotions” contains a collection of poetry written by Jordana Ryan. I found her poems to be very intense. Ms. Ryan’s words cut straight to your heart. In her introduction, she writes that her poetry is a reflection of “the thoughts, feelings, and lives,” of the people who have touched her life. Having worked with the misfortunate, such as criminals and the mentally ill, has given her a wealth of resources from which to draw inspiration for these poems. She obviously has a gift for understanding the plight of the people with whom she has worked. This is reflected in her words. She understands what these people are experiencing.

The poetry in “Uncensored Emotions” is not something that you read for lightness and joy, it is too dark. It is something that you read when you need to know that there is someone else out there who understands what you have been through. Ms. Ryan’s words reflect that she understands the pain of the hardships that people experience. These hardships include: betrayal, abuse, broken relationships, and the disappointment that is felt when God doesn’t seem to be answering your prayers. When you read her poetry, you suspect that she personally experienced everything that she is writing about. You hope that it isn’t true, but her talented writing skills make you think that it could be.

This would be a great quick read for a reader’s group. I think that the poems could offer a wealth of material for discussion. There are some typos in some of the poetry that could be fixed for better reading. I heartily recommend “Uncensored Emotions.”

Uncensored Emotions
Jordana Ryan
Amira Press (2007)
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (9/07)