Category Archives: books

Former and Further Adventures of Ralphie

Posted on December 31, 2022 by bullersbackporch

Christmas means many things and around here, it always involves movies —and we crown our days of viewing old favorites with “A Christmas Story,” reserved for post-Christmas dinner. I shared my back story with Ralphie several years ago, relating how my … Continue reading →

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Coming to the Classics via Comic Books

Posted on February 19, 2022 by bullersbackporch

I’m re-reading Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus for the first time in many years. That last time I read it, circa the 70s I think, I had a dog-eared copy picked up for a buck in a … Continue reading →

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The “Beauty” of Banned Books

Posted on February 1, 2022 by bullersbackporch

Last week’s news read like a bad attempt at an ironic joke. local school board in Tennessee bans a book about Nazis — noted for their book banning and burning. Maus, the Pulitzer-Prize winning graphic novel, depicts atrocities experienced by … Continue reading →

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Twofer Tuesday: Dan Roam & Ben Jones

Posted on November 9, 2021 by bullersbackporch

This week promises two exciting events I want to share with you here. The Pop-Up Pitch: The Two-Hour Creative Sprint to the Most Persuasive Presentation of Your Life Dan Roam, author of “Back of the Napkin” and several other modern … Continue reading →

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Revisiting Thalia and “The Last Picture Show”

Posted on May 29, 2021 by bullersbackporch

I’ve been rereading some of Larry McMurtry’s writing since his death earlier this year. Most recently, I took a trip back to Thalia to visit with Sonny and Duane and Jacy and Ruth and Sam the Lion and all the … Continue reading →

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In short…

Posted on May 15, 2021 by bullersbackporch

“Lately readers have begun to complain about my short chapters, although in my opinion there is no particular reason why a chapter should be long. Does one complain to Rimbaud because of the brevity of his verse? In fact I … Continue reading →

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Bookman, Pass By

Posted on March 30, 2021 by bullersbackporch

Farewell to Larry McMurtry, a true man of letters and a giant in the field of Texas and western literature. From his first novel, Horseman, Pass By (re-titled “Hud” for the movie, uh, variation) to the legendary Lonesome Dove tales … Continue reading →

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Farewell to Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Posted on February 24, 2021 by bullersbackporch

The legendary Lawrence Ferlinghetti died yesterday, leaving a legacy of literacy and poetry and, of course, San Francisco’s pioneering City Lights bookstore. Aged 101, he loomed large in the city he loved, and his light shone like a beacon of … Continue reading →

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Stretching the Story to Tell the Truth — and Vice Versa

Posted on November 25, 2020 by bullersbackporch

History is elastic. Ilan Stavans said this in describing his graphic novel, A Contrarian History of the United States (illustrated by Lalo Alcaraz). The book tells our country’s history from a different point of view than most history books— that … Continue reading →

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From Some Recent Readings

Posted on November 16, 2020 by bullersbackporch

Part of my morning rhythm is reading. I keep a book, usually non-fiction, on the end table near my living room chair, and after I’ve taken the dog out briefly, I sit and sip some coffee while reading. Recently, I … Continue reading →

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