Books, Poetry & Short Stories

Human- interest writer plumbs real lives of athletes

The Game Isn’t Everything: The reality beyond the arena by Bruce Lowitt; Barstad Communications; © 2015; ISBN 978153-4981126;  285 pages, $14.95. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Bruce Lowitt is an all-around sportswriter who covered the big NFL games for the Associated Press, and, later in his career, regaled readers with stories about sports […]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Bruce F. Lowitt, Donald H. Harrison, Sports & Competitions

A critic of critics, Cynthia Ozick’s latest novella is biting, ironic – a rare satire that rings with the sound of truth

Cynthia Ozick lived through some of the best years of the New York intellectuals, and now regrets the waning of their influence. Writing for no money in tiny magazines like the Partisan Review, they commanded attention around the world. Ozick was a member of that community, or at least close enough to feel its power.

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories

Two novels about Jews in England

 By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson DOMEYROT, France — A book entitled A Conspiracy of Paper by David Liss (published by Ballantine Books, New York, 2000) recently came into my hands by chance. The main subject – intrigues, violence and even murder in connection with trading on the stock exchange in early eighteenth-century England – is not one that would

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

‘Karolina’s Twins’ is three stories in one

Karolina’s Twins by Ronald H. Balson; St. Martin’s Press; © 2016; ISBN 9781250-098375; 308 pages; $25.99 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – This novel intertwines a Holocaust survival tale with the combination of a detective mystery and a court room drama.  Three stories in one. Lena Woodward, 89, engages attorney Catherine Lockhart and her

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison

Debut illustrator thrills as book sells at Comic-Con

Story by Donald H. Harrison; Photo by Shor M. Masori SAN DIEGO – In the guise of an anonymous sales lady tending a display of books at Comic-Con, Sara Ann Varon watched as people laughed while they thumbed through copies of Bacon and Sausage. Varon was the illustrator of the children’s book written by Gabriel Smith. 

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Shor M. Masori

Deaf author at Comic-Con tells of break- through book

El Deafo by Cece Bell, color by David Lasky; Amulet Books; © 2014; ISBN 978141-9712173; 233 pages plus a note from the author;  price not listed. Story by Donald H. Harrison; Photos by Shor M. Masori SAN DIEGO — Written for elementary and middle school audiences, El Deafo tells the story of author Cece Bell

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Science, Medicine, & Education, Shor M. Masori

Comic-Con speaker shares memories of her mammaries

The Story of My Tits by Jennifer Hayden; © 2015; Top Shelf Productions; ISBN 978160-3090544;  340 pages; $29.99 Story by Donald H. Harrison; Photo by Shor M. Masori SAN DIEGO –When she was a young teenager, Jennifer Hayden was frustrated that she had remained flat chested while many of her classmates had already bloomed.  But

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County

Raising children? This book might help

Parenting in Perspective: Timeless Wisdom, Modern Applications by Rabbi Barry Kislowicz, Maggid Books, New Milford, CT, ©20156, ISBN 978-159-264-456-8, p. 171, plus appendices, $22.95 By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California –  How do we learn to be parents? It’s not taught in high school or college; so do we learn by mimicry? Trial by fire?

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD

Alternative Jewish histories: Fun, instructive

What Ifs of Jewish History: From Abraham to Zionism edited by Gavriel D. Rosenfeld; (c) 2016 Cambridge University Press; ISBN 978110-7037625; 406 pages including notes and index; $34.99 hardback. By Mitchell J. Freedman POWAY, California –Counterfactuals or alternative histories remain controversial among historians mostly because it is an area where Literature with a capital L

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History

Artist Charlotte Salomon’s life told in free verse

By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson   MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Life is full of strange coincidences. I first encountered the story of Charlotte Salomon about twenty years ago, when an exhibition of her work, a series of paintings with captions describing her life and entitled Life? Or Theatre? was held at the Royal Academy in London. It made

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish History

Detective, romance story based on Salem Witch Trials

How to Hang A Witch by Adriana Mather; Alfred A. Knopf; © 2016; ISBN 978055-3539479; 358 pages including author’s notes; $17.99 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Adriana Mather is the author and Samantha Mather is the fictional protagonist of this mystery-romance-supernatural novel for young adults that draws upon the Salem Witch Trials for

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison

‘Days of Awe’ tells of recovery from a close friend’s death

Days of Awe by Lauren Fox; Penguin Random House Vantage Books: © 2015; ISBN 978030-7388278; 256 pages; $16 By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –Isabelle’s life is ruined after her best friend and fellow school teacher, Josie, died when her car plunged off an icy road.  She was so devastated by the loss that her marriage

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison