In a nutshell: What is the function of newspaper literary criticism at the present time? To help readers decide how best to spend the time they have, reading well -- for pleasure, knowledge, inspiration, enlightenment. And personally, my favorite thing is probably finding a gem of a book that no one has noticed and sharing my enthusiasm for it with readers. The most important thing is to create a dialogue involving writers, poets, readers and critics. And the scope of that dialogue is huge. You know, there are tens of thousands of books published every year -- far more books in any given 12-month period than there are movies, or art shows, or classical concerts in a given city. So the book critic for any publication is in the unique position of helping shape the intellectual landscape. Even the task of choosing which books to review is a big responsibility, and I take it seriously. But I learn from readers, too. That's the dialogue. It's how we learn: We keep talking.
Submitted by Fonda from Overland Park, KS
Q: I'm not in the habit of writing fan letters, but your column in this morning's KC Star made me think of how much I appreciate your insights and recommendations. I'm a faithful reader. I, also, enjoy your appearance on The Walt Bodine Show and just wanted to say thank you. Sincerely --
Answered 08/10/08 23:14:42 by John Mark Eberhart
A: Thank you VERY much! I really appreciate all the support lately from readers.Submitted by R. Wayne Moorhead from Raymore, MO
Q: A book was reviewed that was published about 1 year ago. It is the history of Julyth, researched & published by a retired librarian. Request the title & author.
Answered 08/10/08 23:13:47 by John Mark Eberhart
A: I'm afraid I have no idea.Submitted by Carolyn Wallace from Raytown, MO
Q: Earlier this year, probably April or May, the Star published a review of a book titled "A Moveable Nest" or "The Moveable Nest" with a brief excerpt. I believe it was an anthology, and the cover (pictured) showed a bird nest constructed of twigs. I can't remember the author's name, and I haven't been able to locate the book on line, which may mean I misremember the title. Can you help me locate the book?
Answered 08/10/08 23:13:25 by John Mark Eberhart
A: The Movable Nest (leave out the e in this case). Here's the link to the book on amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Movable-Nest-Mother-Daughter-Companion/dp/1884235395/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218427945&sr=1-1Submitted by Susan from Kansas City, MO
Q: About a year ago there was an article in FYI about a book of names that explained how certain given names will shape a person's personality. Examples on the page were about the names Andrew, Andy, and Drew (which actually fit my relatives to a T). Now that I'm pregnant, I think I would be interested in purchasing this book, but I didn't save the article. Thanks if you can help!
Answered 04/03/08 09:36:07 by John Mark Eberhart
A: Hi Susan, The only article I found in our archive ran in 2005. It referenced two books: "You're Such a Dave," by Kerrin Carleen Hopkins, though on the Amazon site the author is listed as Casey Davis; and Maryanna Korwitts' "Name Power 101." The "Dave" book is listed as out of stock at Amazon but you can get a used copy as cheap as 47 cents! Unfortunately, the Korwitts must have been a limited edition; it's listed at $116, which seems pretty steep. And Korwitts is the one who did the Andrew, Andy, Drew riff (thanks for that reference, by the way, which tickled our archive into finding the right story. Good memory!) I did a search on Korwitts and she does have a Web site that lists "Name Power 101" as being for sale for $29.95, but some of the links on that page are broken. I'd suggest contacting her: Go to http://namepower101.com/ and click on "Contact Us." Drop her a line -- I would bet she still has copies. -- John MarkSubmitted by Anonymous from Kansas City, Missouri
Q: I believe it was in the Sunday KC Star a few weeks ago. The book cover has the mom's legs and the daughter may be pictured. It talked about the moms drug abuse and the daughter's life. I know it was written by a woman. Can you please help me?
Answered 01/15/08 21:41:58 by John Mark Eberhart
A: Of course. The book was a memoir called "Her Last Death," by Susanna Sonnenberg.Submitted by Clay Marcusen from Kansas City, Missouri
Q: I am unable to find the recent article in the Arts section listing the best 100 books as selected by the KC Star. I am especially interested in the name of the poetry book and author that I think was listed in the top 10 selection. I remember the reviewer, who also had written poetry, was originally not familiar with the book before she read it and commented how much she enjoyed it. Thank you.
Answered 12/16/07 14:52:35 by John Mark Eberhart
A: The poetry collection you cite is "A Glass of Milk to Kiss Goodnight," by Hadara Bar-Nadav. Also, if you need the entire list of 100, plus the 10 highlight books, I'd be glad to e-mail you the electronic versions of those stories. Simply e-mail me at jeberhart@kcstar.com and I'll reply with the lists. Thanks for writing!Submitted by Marje Leser from Lansing, KS
Q: I am trying to find the title of a book that was an FYI book club selection some years ago. Is there a list of the past years selections? If so, I would very much like to have a copy. Thank you very much. Marje Leser
Answered 10/18/07 04:04:08 by John Mark Eberhart
A: I don't think there's a list. If you could tell me a bit about the book (subject? character? some clue such as that), maybe I can help. E-mail me at jeberhart@kcstar.com, would you?Submitted by ishcvgbwfh from uSqUcaWnzEenjFMpAM
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Answered 09/15/07 13:19:04 by John Mark Eberhart
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Q: Good morning. Now that I've read someone else's comment about your poem " your letter came today" I'm interested in reading it. How can I find it? Thanks.
Answered 04/12/07 14:15:38 by John Mark Eberhart
A: That poem is featured in "Night Watch," my poetry collection, which is available on amazon.com or various bookstores. If you have any trouble, though, please e-mail me at jeberhart@kcstar.com.Submitted by Michelle from kc mo
Q: I wanted to submit a poem. Do I send it here or elso where?
Answered 04/12/07 14:13:40 by John Mark Eberhart
A: Send to jeberhart@kcstar.comSubmitted by Shawn from St. Louis, MO
Q: You recently attended a writer's conference in Georgia where you said that NY editors are looking for fiction BY midwestern authors ABOUT facets of midwestern life. As I fit the bill on both accounts, I'm wondering if you can be any more specific on editors or agents who might be more receptive to my thriller. I played up the midwestern angles in my query. I'd like to quote you in my query, but I get the feeling that I'd look especially silly when I couldn't explain your point beyond saying, "JME said so!" Can you elaborate, please?
Answered 04/03/07 16:10:27 by John Mark Eberhart
A: First, I'm sure I didn't mention the thriller genre. When it comes to that, I'm afraid I have no idea anymore what agents or publishers are seeking. I was talking about literary fiction. Second, your telling an agent or publisher that I said something would be about as useful as installing a jet engine on a garden tiller. You might get a lot of unwanted vibration, but you wouldn't accomplish much. That's how much most of them value the views of book review editors. So please don't quote me in your query. AThird, you have to keep in mind that I see the product, not the process. That means I don't have much information in the way of which specific editors or agents want Midwestern fiction. If it helps, I can say this: I've seen examples of this lately with Viking/Penguin, the Random House group and the Simon & Schuster group. There are also non-NYC presses such as Unbridled and Steerforth that have published such books. I know this is frustrating. But you may have to try a lot of agents before you find a receptive one. They are OVERWHELMED with manuscripts, because too many people in our culture have decided that writing is a cinch. The best advice I can give you is to visit your library and get a smart librarian to point you to reference materials on agents. Don't bother sending manuscripts directly to editors at publishing houses; your work will end up in that ghastly realm known as "the slush pile," which is even worse than it sounds. You can also research literary agencies online. Be careful and check their credibility and track record. If they want money from you up front, forget it. Another suggestion: Read back on some thrillers you really liked and that have some commonality with yours. Often, the writer will acknowledge the agent in an afterword or such. Pursue those agents. And realize that even good books get rejected, in some cases, many times. This isn't a sprint; it's a marathon.Submitted by p7aWQmqf7lYJk3om@gma from p7aWQmqf7lYJk3om
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Answered 03/29/07 18:39:41 by John Mark Eberhart
A: And you're asking ME for it?! Best joke I've heard all year!Submitted by linda-sands.com from Lawrenceville, GA
Q: Hey, I heard you read some of your poetry in Dahlonega recently and went searching for NIGHTWATCH. Wow. I was moved to tears by your poem,"Your Letter Came Today" and wondered, What was your inspiration? Also, great job moderating. You've gained a new reader, albeit on the web.
Answered 02/21/07 16:23:20 by John Mark Eberhart
A: The inspiration for that poem, which was included in "Night Watch," comes from several directions. One, of course, is just the whole idea of a love lost or in danger of being lost. I'm old enough now to have experienced that. I believe the "hiding in my upper room" reference was probably derived in part from my reading about Emily Dickinson's solitary habits, and in part from the upper room references in the New Testament. The sea imagery -- specifically the sea spirit stranded on land -- was inspired by "Dreaming the Bronze Girl," a book by my colleague Serena Allison Hearn, a poet living in Lawrence, Kansas. So I guess it's easy to see that all these things were swimming around together; it was my usual job as a poet to try to make some sense of them, and to give them emotional weight. I'm glad you think I did so. By the way, the final line, "The river road leads back to you," was intended to be open enough to be read two ways. In one sense, it can be hopeful -- after all, it can be wonderful to reconcile with a love. But the line also could indicate the character's weakness. Perhaps this person is returning to someone they cannot live without but who is not necessarily good for them. I know what my reading of the poem is, but I leave it to you, and all other readers, to interpret the conclusion as you wish. Otherwise, it's just not very enjoyable, is it? Thanks again for writing me, and for your praise of that poem.Submitted by Anonymous from No location specified
Q: sunday 1/21 paper had a brief mention in the A&E section of an event featuring an author of a book titled something like " a theory of everything". i believe it was right at the top of the front page of that section. i cannot find reference to that event on line. can you help me? thanks.
Answered 01/22/07 14:46:02 by John Mark Eberhart
A: That's Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe and several other books. He'll be at Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 47th St., at 7:30 p.m. this Thursday, Jan. 25. Call (816) 926-8774 for more information.Submitted by Anonymous from K.C. , MO
Q: A couple of months ago I read a review about a fictional book on Jackie Kennedy. It supposedly was written with the premise that she was working with the CIA. It sounded interesting, but now that I wanted to look for it, I can't seem to remember the title or author. Could you help me?
Answered 01/16/07 20:40:48 by John Mark Eberhart
A: You have a good memory. The book, published by William Morrow, was called "Jack's Widow." The author is Eve Pollard. Should be pretty easy to find.