Category: Quotes

KIRKUS REVIEWS Gives THE LAST GRAND TOUR a Starred Review!

screenshot of Kirkus Reviews starred review of The Last Grand Tour.

The first review of The Last Grand Tour is out–and it’s a very good one: a starred review from Kirkus Reviews!

Click here to read the whole review.

For those who don’t know about Kirkus starred reviews, here’s what one author wrote about them:

“Kirkus stars are like diamonds: extremely rare. A starred review is the top of the top, a prestigious, Holy Grail that highlights books of “exceptional merit.” A starred review represents outstanding writing.”

This kind of attention is huge for a first novel from a small publisher. I’m deeply thankful to the unnamed reviewer.

“A Haunting Story About Love and Disillusion”

You can pre-order The Last Grand Tour by clicking on the name of one of these great independent bookstores hosting book-related events:

Powell’s Books, Portland, OR (Tuesday, January 28, 2025)

Edmonds Bookshop, Edmonds, WA (Thursday, January 30)

Village Books, Bellingham, WA (Thursday, February 6)

Third Place Books Ravenna, Seattle, WA (Tuesday, February 11)

You can also pre-order from:

Bookshop.org

Amazon

“A Journey of the Heart Filled with Longing and Brio”

You can pre-order The Last Grand Tour by clicking on the name of any of these great independent bookstores that will be hosting book-related events:

Powell’s Books, Portland, OR (Tuesday, January 28, 2025)

Edmonds Bookshop, Edmonds, WA (Thursday, January 30)

Village Books, Bellingham, WA (Thursday, February 6)

Third Place Books Ravenna, Seattle, WA (Tuesday, February 11)

You can also pre-order from:

Bookshop.org

Amazon

“Art Makes the Real World.”

Still life by Paul Cézanne

The title of this post is a quote from an autistic artist named William Scott, who was featured in a PBS Newshour segment on an exhibition of art by disabled artists at SF MOMA.

I think he is exactly right.

The world we see in the news–of conflict, violence, hatred, accusations, recriminations, and revenge–is not genuine. Artists offer us visions of a world that is more real because it reflects the desires, values, and aspirations of our better selves.

You can learn more about William Scott and the Creative Growth group he’s part of here: https://creativegrowth.org/william-scott

https://creativegrowth.org/william-scott

It’s Not Whether You Get Knocked Down…

I watched some of Sunday’s Super Bowl, including a commercial with a Vince Lombardi figure. Apparently, he said, “It’s not whether you got knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.”

What I heard, though, was: “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get knocked up.” Which I thought was wise in its own way.

Joy Encased in the Covid Night

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
                                                                                              Psalm 30:5
This image is from an ice storm we had in Portland a few years ago. It seems an apt reminder that encased within this Covid night is the joy of the coming thaw. We need only endure a while longer.