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  • Moving To Barbados (Not)

    Moving To Barbados (Not)

    It’s January now; the holidays are over and, up here in Canada at least, we’re in for a few more months of either gloomy skies or frigid temperatures. I’d say it’s time for a warm weather story. In the spring of 1980 I was scheduled to move to Bridgetown, Barbados. Back then, I was a Read more

  • What the Dickens

    What the Dickens

    In my view, no other author epitomizes this season of celebration more than Charles Dickens. Hans Christian Andersen met Charles Dickens twice, first in 1847 and then again in 1857. Although the first encounter was brief and cordial, on the second visit, it seems the celebrated Danish author overstayed his welcome. Regular readers of these Read more

  • Crime and (Maybe) Punishment

    Crime and (Maybe) Punishment

    I was watching CNBC some months back when I happened to come across a series called American Greed (not to be confused with the more famous American Crime Story). Little did I know that the series, which focused on corporate and white collar crime, ran for 15 years, and included 222 episodes. I’d say that’s Read more

  • The Fantastic Kingdom

    The Fantastic Kingdom

    Earlier this fall I posted about Harold Darling, Green Tiger Press and the world of children’s book illustration. Today my subject is David Larkin and Peacock Press (a part of Bantam Books), whose publications followed a similar path back in the mid 1970’s. During those years, I acquired a small collection of Larkin’s excellent publications Read more

  • A Case of Mistaken Identity

    A Case of Mistaken Identity

    Not long ago, I received the following email from a woman named Jeni (I won’t reveal her last name): “In your interviews you act like you aren’t remorseful or even ashamed for killing your wife and 3 kids. (Sickening) how are you even able to go on each day knowing how much of a sick Read more

  • Green Tiger Press

    Green Tiger Press

    Once upon a time (not so very long ago) in a fair and magical land (otherwise known as Southern California) a youngish couple had the idea to become book publishers. And not just any books. Special ones. The young couple, who went by the surname Darling, founded Green Tiger Press. Could there be a more Read more