Tag: freelance writing

I was pleased to see the finished product of my recent review of the audio edition of Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson. I figure that it’s worth sharing, not so much because of the quality of my review writing, but rather, Jenny Lawson has now become an author who I want to share with the world.

Lawson first made a name for herself as a blogger, tackling her struggles with mental illness with a twisted sense of humor. You can learn more about Lawson by visiting her blog. Be forewarned that her language and subject matter may not be for everyone. However, for those of us who appreciate the role that uproarious laughter can play in making sense of our journeys, Lawson holds special appeal.

 

The last few months have presented a variety of opportunities, challenges, distractions, and diversions for me. I let all of these get in the way of my blog writing, and getting back in that groove continues to prove tricky for me. Yet, I did want to share my new Publishers Weekly audio book review of Purity by Jonathan Franzen.

I must confess that, until that assignment came along, I had not read any of Franzen’s works. I have always read actively and possessed eclectic tastes in both nonfiction and fiction, but somehow, especially when it comes to novels, I have found myself concentrating on authors who were kinda sorta highbrow but avoiding the most serious literary names that I figured were a bit too big for their britches to actually be entertaining. Franzen fit this description, mostly because I had remembered him seeming a bit arrogant and condescending when Oprah first started pushing his books on her show. (In the interest of fairness, I will point out that the two eventually patched things up and got on the same page, pardon the pun.)

So, I wasn’t prepared to be blown away by a writer as artsy as Franzen, but that’s exactly what happened. He creates complicated Webs in his writing, but somehow the details are so relevant and compelling that I don’t mind sticking with him. I become absorbed in the storytelling and don’t worry about the fact that there are so many characters and settings; it all flows together, even when it seems like the sort of undertaking that shouldn’t feel that smooth.

So, I am now reading the written version of Freedom, another Franzen title. So far so good, but I will need to dig further into the action before I can make a judgment. In the meantime, I can say that Purity delivers the goods, so if you see me reading Jonathan Franzen, I am not doing so because it makes me look intellectual. I think I have actually found another writer who has created journeys on which I want to travel.

I have to confess that I have seriously fallen off the wagon in terms of regular blog postings. I plan to get back on track very soon, but in the meantime, I figured I could share something from my freelance writing work. I don’t get by lines for it, but I have reviewed audio books for Publishers Weekly over the past decade or so. I try to keep things separate from my day job to avoid any possible conflicts or sticky situations, but no one has ever told me not to share my reviews as an individual.

I was pleased to see my recent review of the audio edition of The Seven Good Years: A Memoir  by Etgar Keret listed on the magazine’s Web page as a featured review. So, if they wanted to feature it, maybe I should too. Keret is an Israeli author who has made several contributions to the public radio program This American Life. I loved listening to his prose on audio, and now I am going to delve in to his fiction. I will let what I have already shared speak for itself, but I think there is some powerful stuff here.