Iris Murdoch, an Irish-born British author and philosopher, was born July 15, 1919 and died February 8, 1999 at age 79. She ranked twelfth on a list of “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945.” She wrote 26 novels and followed the tradition of novelists like Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, George Elliot, and Proust. Murdoch was married […]
Writing Retreat Weekend Coming Up
My writer mentor teacher from years ago at Diablo Valley College, Jessica Barksdale, will be leading a writing retreat this coming weekend. I’ve submitted my ten pages and look forward to hear what is working and what isn’t. A chapter from Norman in the Painting will be scrutinized. She supplies us with breakfast and lunch, […]
Nineteen Eight-Four by George Orwell Published June 6, 1949
George Orwell is the pen name used by Eric Arthur Blair who was born on June 25, 1903 in British India. Orwell suffered from tuberculosis that was diagnosed in December of 1947 until he died in January, 1950. He believed that vague writing was a powerful tool of political manipulation and it could shape the […]
David Congalton at CWC Tri-Valley Branch on June 20, 2015
California Writers Club, Tri-Valley branch meets once a month. In June the speaker will be: David Congalton is a radio talk show host and writer who spent 25 years chasing his dream of selling a script to Hollywood. The result was a 2014 feature film comedy Authors Anonymous, starring Kaley Cuoco, Chris Klein, Teri Polo, […]
Do You Know the Name of the Author Who Wrote The Birds?
Probably most of you have seen Hitchcock’s movie The Birds, but did you know that Dame Daphne du Maurier wrote the short story? “The film adaptation of her novel, Rebecca, won Best Picture Oscar in 1941. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte was one of Du Daphne’s strongest influences. Du Maurier wrote The Infernal World of […]
J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan
My favorite scene in Disney’s Peter Pan, the animated classic created in 1953. J.M. Barrie, author and playwright, born on May 9, 1860 in Scotland, is best known for writing Peter Pan in 1904. Barrie wrote his first novel, Better Dead, in 1887, and then several novels set in Scotland. In 1890, he began to […]
J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan
My favorite scene in Disney’s Peter Pan, the animated classic created in 1953. J.M. Barrie, author and playwright, born on May 9, 1860 in Scotland, is best known for writing Peter Pan in 1904. Barrie wrote his first novel, Better Dead, in 1887, and then several novels set in Scotland. In 1890, he began to […]