Renaissance Writer: Gordon A. Long

REVIEW

Days of Clear Light: A Festschrift in Honour of Jessie Lendennie, in Celebration of Salmon Poetry at 40

by renaissanceadmin • 2021-04-11 • 0 Comments

It is important that you don’t get turned away by the wordy title or the academese of the presentation of these poems: “The Salmon, a journal of poetry and prose, as an alternative voice in Irish Literature.” With a foreword by the President of Ireland, no less. We are moving in a rarefied atmosphere, here.…

“The Cautionary Tales: Reimagined Nursery Rhymes for a Post-Trump World” by Linus Bryn

by renaissanceadmin • 2021-04-04 • 0 Comments

Nursery rhymes are famous for their hidden political commentary, so making parodies of them would seem to be a fine source for ironic humour. Enter the Post-Trump World. This looks like a kid’s book of rhymes, and the best part of it is the polished, professional and creative art work. The best use of parody…

“A Jack for All Seasons” by Lesley L. Smith

by renaissanceadmin • 2021-03-28 • 0 Comments

We have here a full-blown Space Opera of the humorous variety. In books such as this, everything is tongue in cheek: Characters are overly weird, plotlines are purposely shaky, and creativity and invention is the order of the day. This novel does not disappoint in any of these areas. The aliens are improbable, their names…

“A Lullaby in the Desert” by Mojgan Azar

by renaissanceadmin • 2021-03-21 • 0 Comments

For those of us used to the story of Middle Eastern refugees when they arrive in Europe and the problems they experience and cause, this story is fascinating because it shows the opposite end of the story: where they started. This novel is at its best in its description of the life of a displaced…

“Parts of Me: Lost and Found” by Cisel Ozbay

by renaissanceadmin • 2021-03-14 • 0 Comments

I have seen a lot of poetry like this recently. These are not traditional poems. They are more like aphorisms influenced by social media memes. The strength of this collection is that, basically, I like the ideas presented. They reveal a snapshot of the truth of life that a wide range of readers will agree…

“Falling into Magic” by Elizabeth Pantley

by renaissanceadmin • 2021-03-07 • 0 Comments

This novel has the standard YA Fantasy plotline of a normal young person who suddenly finds out that she has a very uncommon heritage. As we would expect, that heritage reaches out rather suddenly and dumps her into a magical world. A nice twist to this story is that the magical place she goes is…

“Mainely Money” a Goff Langdon Mystery by Matt Cost

by renaissanceadmin • 2021-03-01 • 0 Comments

“Mainely Money” is a standard Smalltown America Private Detective novel, for the most part well written and very entertaining. The plot involves the title character of the series, Goff Langdon, and his friends who live in a small town in Maine. As we might expect, he takes on a case that turns out to be…

“Last Star Standing” by Spaulding Taylor

by renaissanceadmin • 2021-02-21 • 0 Comments

This is a great Sci/Fi Dystopian novel written by a polished writer with great chops that make the tale more interesting. Many dystopian stories are about a rebel growing up to become a leader. Along the way, it’s almost mandatory to spend some time in the autocrat’s jail. Well, this hero starts the story in…

“Backstories” by Simon Van der Velde

by renaissanceadmin • 2021-02-14 • 1 Comment

This book is a collection of short stories with a twist. As the title indicates, they are stories about famous people before they became famous. So, even when you’re enjoying the characters portrayed, you’re also playing the game of “Who is it?” The ending is often a final clue that makes it all fall into…

“Of Welter and Whim” by Mike Mac

by renaissanceadmin • 2021-02-07 • 0 Comments

One essence of poetry is the elegant and economical use of words. Mr. Mac’s poems are short and dense with meaning, often with a wry twist. “I could never lose someone as much as I lost you.” Who needs more? Even the simplest of his poems is worth a second read to appreciate the shades…

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