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California Literary Review – Summer 2009

Summer 2009

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Henry F. Tonn

This literary review was founded in 2004 and offers literary reviews, author interviews, essays, and publishing news. They also present articles on a variety of topics including art, science, politics, and history. Basically, there is something here for almost everyone. Below are a few juicy tidbits to be sampled in their pages:

This literary review was founded in 2004 and offers literary reviews, author interviews, essays, and publishing news. They also present articles on a variety of topics including art, science, politics, and history. Basically, there is something here for almost everyone. Below are a few juicy tidbits to be sampled in their pages:

An interview with actress Marlee Matlin reveals that she had a “violent” relationship with alcoholic actor William Hurt while filming “Children of a Lesser God.” Even after receiving an academy award for starring in that role, she still has to pound the pavement regularly to find work, and says most well-known Hollywood actors do. Interview by Elinor Teele.

An article dated May 21 relates that the police in Iran arrested the country’s first female serial killer. Desperate for money, she murdered primarily women for their jewelry, which she sold. She supposedly drew her inspiration from Agatha Christie novels. From The Guardian of London.

The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in 1911 and recovered two years later. The specifics of the heist are still a mystery. Suspects included such luminaries as Picasso and Apollinaire. A book by R.A.Scotti, reviewed by David Loftus.

National Book Award winner Denis Johnson has written a crime noir novel entitled Nobody Move. The reviewer, Ryan Van Cleave, awards it three and a half stars out of five and calls it “A fast-paced, funny, and decidedly enjoyable read.”

There is a convenient list of “Topics” here to click on. I click “sex,” and there is a review of Love Junkie by Rachel Resnick, reviewed by Kelly Hartog, who opines, “Her writing is as stripped, raw and intense as her emotions, and at times you don’t want to read further. But you do anyway, with a kind of abject horror.”

Well, that works. Let’s jump to “humor.” The Uncommon Reader, by Alan Bennett, reviewed by Garan Holcombe, is a tongue-in-cheek novella about Queen Elizabeth discovering books. She has always been a doer rather than a reader, and now that she has discovered the joys of reading, she lets her royal duties go to pot. A veritable monarchial catastrophe! Five stars out of five.

This short review cannot possibly do justice to this superb website. It is nicely laid out and chock full of interesting information, not to mention reviews of very worthy books that might not otherwise be noticed. Definitely a place to browse.
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