Category Archives: Uncategorized

Land Without Justice by Milovan Djilas (1958. Harcourt. ISBN 978-1-15-648117) Just so you know. I’m in the process of trying to write a second historical novel regarding Slovenia from the 1930s to present day. My first effort, The Legacy, was well … Continue reading →

Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump (2020. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-9821-4146-2) I get it, Dr. Trump. I really do. After spending time reading your analyses of your uncle, former president (and hopefully, soon-to-be convicted felon) Donald J. Trump, … Continue reading →

Today, my local paper, the Duluth News Tribune, published my rather lengthy (what did you expect from a novelist?) rumination on the writing life. You can read the edited version here: https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/opinion/columns/local-view-how-does-an-author-know-when-its-time-to-rest-the-pen. Or the unedited version here:                                                             A WRITER’S JOURNEY … Continue reading →

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (2017. Audible. B074F3BX79) I’ll confess. Before I listened to this audio version of Ng’s novel, I watched the Hulu series adapted from the book. I’d suggest reading or listening to the story first, then watching … Continue reading →

Invisible Child by Andrea Elliot (2021. Random House. ISBN 978-0-8129-8694-5) Full disclosure: I worked in the area of child protection for the State of Minnesota as a District Court Judge. Every 8 weeks, I did child protection cases as part of … Continue reading →

                                    INTERVIEW WITH JOHN SIMON MM: Though you live in Helsinki, where were you born? Where did you grow up? What’s your ethnic/religious background? JS: I was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1943 and grew up in typically suburban Pleasantville, … Continue reading →

                                                                        FOR MOM Those of you who knew Barbara, or as her Kobe relatives called her, “Jean”, know she was a fastidious woman, always dressed to the nines, always ready for the next big party or event. But there … Continue reading →

Barbara Jean Kobe Munger Tourville, the eldest daughter of John “Jack” Kobe and Eloise “Marie” Barber Kobe, was born on September 21, 1928, in Wadena, Minnesota. Jack, an immigrant from Slovenia, grew up and worked in the iron mines of … Continue reading →

A Promised Land by President Barack Obama (2020. Crown. ISBN 9781524763169) I’ll be upfront. I am a Liberal reviewing a memoir penned by one of my favorite Liberal politicians. But I’m not here to evaluate President Obama’s politics (though I deplore … Continue reading →

                                                            EULOGY FOR SCOTT MORK Longtime friend, Scott Mork, passed away on September 12, 2023, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Many of you likely didn’t know Scott. The first thing I’ll say about Scott is that he was an Eagle Scout, attaining … Continue reading →