May 2023 Leisure Learning: Way, Way Back in the Day

May 2023 Leisure Learning: Way, Way Back in the Day

Greetings and felicitations, fellow nerds of the word! The May 2023 Leisure Learning column focuses on literary contributions somehow related to the past. Gain insight into William Blake’s process for resurrecting the illuminated manuscript, meet some lesser-known family members chronically overshadowed by their famous relations, and see how Walt Disney’s soldiering days influenced early Disney… Read more »

Cozy to Cold-Blooded: The Poirot Awards

Cozy to Cold-Blooded: The Poirot Awards

I spent the first months of 2023 reading Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot novels, most for the first time. It all started when I read The ABC Murders. I received a Nintendo Switch Lite and the video game The ABC Murders for Christmas and I didn’t want the game to spoil the book.  I enjoyed The… Read more »

Reading as a Creative Act

Reading as a Creative Act

Writers, I’d like to talk about reading. Growing up, it was the form of entertainment universally endorsed by adults. Kids could watch too much TV or spend too many hours playing video games, but rarely did one get in trouble for reading too many books. (Although I’m sure some of you reading this have some… Read more »

Transgender Literature: A Rich History and a Contemporary Renaissance

Transgender Literature: A Rich History and a Contemporary Renaissance

Transgender literature, which deals with the experiences and struggles of people whose gender identity differs from their assigned sex at birth, has a long and rich history. From ancient myths and legends to contemporary novels and memoirs, transgender literature has played a significant role in shaping our understanding of gender, sexuality, and identity. History of… Read more »

April 2023 Leisure Learning: Friends, Foes, & Infamy

April 2023 Leisure Learning: Friends, Foes, & Infamy

Merry April, all! I hope that by the time you read this, you have gotten a chance to experience the luxury of reading outside. (Made even more luxurious, at times, through the magic of antihistamines.) This month’s column explores the spectrum of friends, enemies, frenemies, and simply odd relationships found within literature, both on and… Read more »

The Book Nook: Interview with Jane V Blunschi

The Book Nook: Interview with Jane V Blunschi

Hey y’all. I recently had the opportunity to interview Jane V Blunschi, author of the novella, Mon Dieu, Love.  I was really excited about this book because I feel like you don’t come across standalone novellas super often and I was definitely curious about the form. Plus, it has an interesting path to publication. And… Read more »

The Book Nook: Interview with Eden Boudreau

The Book Nook: Interview with Eden Boudreau

I was so fortunate to be able to interview Eden Boudreau about her amazing memoir, Crying Wolf, her story of surviving sexual assault. Writing a memoir can be difficult enough to sift through the memories and when you write about trauma, it’s an even more difficult process, so I was very grateful that Eden was… Read more »

Leisure Learning: Almost Spring!

Leisure Learning: Almost Spring!

Hello, word nerds! Welcome to the Almost Spring edition of Leisure Learning. This month’s melange of experiences brings you the nostalgia of Beatrix Potter, the convoluted craziness of Ian Fleming’s role in British naval service, The Oscars (for books!) and a wealth of Irish tales, recorded by school children in their 1930s-era copybooks. Whatever your… Read more »

The Book Nook: Interview with Rochelle Bilow

The Book Nook: Interview with Rochelle Bilow

I am so excited to share this interview with Rochelle Bilow just ahead of Valentine’s Day. I’m relatively new to the romance genre, but I love it. By definition, we know it’s going to end with a happily ever after…but the fun part is seeing how the characters get there. It’s the journey, not the… Read more »