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A Furious Rant Fueled by a Furious Cool Book: “Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the World That Made Him” David Henry & Joe Henry
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- Published on Friday, 11 April 2014 00:00
- Written by Kevin Kizer
A Note From the Author:
What was intended to be a review of “Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the World That Made Him”, a book written by David Henry & Joe Henry, became a rant against the city of Peoria for its lack of recognition of its most famous son. But it’s more than just a rant. It also presents at...
Kevin Reads Stuff So You Don't Have To: "Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age"
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- Published on Sunday, 20 October 2013 17:55
- Written by Kevin Kizer
“You may think me a dreamer...but I can tell you that I look forward with absolute confidence to sending messages through the earth without any wires.”
- Nikola Tesla, 1894
When it comes to the great inventors of the electrical age, for some reason, Nikola Tesla generally is overlooked at least in American textbooks.
Politics, Hippies and Hell's Angels
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- Published on Monday, 03 September 2012 15:40
- Written by Kevin Kizer
As a writer, Hunter S. Thompson means different things to different people across several generations, which is a testament to his talent. It's no exaggeration to say his books have transcended social barriers and created a common thread among diverse groups of people: law enforcement officials and restless youth, politicians and the counterculture, professional journalists and armchair quarterbacks to name a few. If this sounds a bit bold, consider...
Literarea Review: "Everything And More: A Compact History of Infinity" by David Foster Wallace
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- Published on Sunday, 06 October 2013 16:03
- Written by Kevin Kizer
“Do I contradict myself?
Very well, then I contradict myself,
I am large, I contain multitudes.”
Walt Whitman
"Songs of Myself"
David Foster Wallace was definitely a Whitmanesque character if there ever was one. He was hyper-intellectual receiving an (mostly) Ivy League education while being a down-to-earth central Illinois kid of the ’70s. He was the child of a professor...
From Bradbury to Farmer
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- Published on Thursday, 07 June 2012 17:13
- Written by Kevin Kizer
The death of Ray Bradbury this week has been all over the media and, as we mourn the loss of one of the great science fiction writers, it calls to mind one of Bradbury’s contemporaries, Peorian Philip Jose Farmer, who passed away on February 25, 2009. Bradbury and Farmer were equally acclaimed in the science fiction world, although Bradbury’s work seemed to appeal to broader audiences. Isaac Asimov praised Farmer as a great writer and “a...
A Literarea Preview: 'Thomas Beckett: Warrior, Priest, Rebel'
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- Published on Friday, 09 November 2012 14:49
- Written by Kevin Kizer
Thomas Beckett: Warrior, Priest, Rebel
By John Guy
The story of Thomas Beckett and King Henry the II has been told and retold over the centuries, but a new book “Thomas Beckett: Warrior, Priest, Rebel” by John Guy manages to find an interesting and engaging way to keep the story fresh.The prime lesson one takes away from this book? Never trust an ego-maniacal king no...
Good Novels That Turned Into Pretty Good Films, Part 4
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- Published on Wednesday, 23 November 2011 14:41
- Written by Kevin Kizer
A Clockwork Orange
The Book
Published in 1962, A Clockwork Orange is one of those unique cases where if it weren't for the film, we might not be talking about the book.
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It’s a big season for big names in literature
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- Published on Friday, 21 September 2012 16:22
- Written by Kevin Kizer
The last quarter of 2012 will see (and has seen) a dearth new releases from some of the biggest names in literature. Here is a quick look at four of them:
“Joseph Anton” by Salman Rushdie
This memoir recounts the years after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against the author because of the publication of “The Satanic Verses.” The Ayatollah declared the book to be offensive to...
Good Novels That Turned Into Pretty Good Films, part 3
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- Published on Tuesday, 25 October 2011 10:47
- Written by Kevin Kizer
The Godfather
The Book
Published in 1969, the novel The Godfather had a huge impact but for much different reasons than the famed film adaptation which followed in 1972. It has since become a modern-day classic.The book was a massive success not just because of its study of the Sicilian Mafia, but because...
