The Opposite of Art is the story of the genius artist, Sheridan Ridler, who is known for painting nudes without faces. Ridler gets quite a reputation in the art world as a cad to the ladies and an arrogant jerk to everyone else that comes in contact with him. Well, he has an accident at… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Marion’s Favorites
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 100: Bag of Bones by Stephen King
Bag of Bones is the story of Mike Noonan, a bestselling novelist with a great life until his wife dies in an accident near their Western Maine summer home. From that accident, Mike’s life is turned upside down and inside out. Because of that event, Mike gets writers block, discovers their summer home is haunted… Continue Reading
Wisdom From Kammbia Story Review 10: The Cookout by Jacqueline Turner Banks
A stepfather-stepdaughter relationship can be challenging, especially when the stepdaughter is coming into her own. The Cookout by Jacqueline Turner Banks, a short story published in Shades of Black: Crime & Mystery Stories by African-American Writers, makes a convincing case for that kind of relationship. The story opens with Stacey Barron’s mother, Frances, leaving on… Continue Reading
Wisdom From Kammbia Story Review 9: The Storyteller by Rafik Schami
“Good storytellers are like good wine—the older the better!” The aforementioned sentence came from the last paragraph of The Storyteller by Rafik Schami. This short story was taken from his novel, Damascus Nights and reprinted in The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror: Seventh Annual Collection published in September 1994. I’ve been reading from various anthologies… Continue Reading
Wisdom From Kammbia Story Review 8: Recitatif by Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison is one of those authors I have admired and respected but not loved her fiction. I have read Song of Solomon, Jazz, & Paradise of her work. Song of Solomon is my favorite but my feelings as a reader on a storytelling level have been lukewarm at best. However, this short story (the… Continue Reading
Wisdom From Kammbia Story Review 7: What People Leave Behind by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
My reading excursion into short stories continues with an excellent whodunit story set in a suburban Oregon town where a single mother who owns a housecleaning business of foreclosure homes ends up on the wrong end of a home explosion. What People Leave Behind by Kristine Kathryn Rusch told the story of how Detective Andrea… Continue Reading
Wisdom From Kammbia Story Review 5: Galapago by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
I have stated recently that I’m reading more short stories as a part of my reading life. As much as I love reading novels, I’m appreciating the short story on its own terms. Last year, I read an excellent short story collection, Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine. My favorite story of the entire… Continue Reading
Wisdom From Kammbia Story Review 4: L’Alchimista by N.K. Jemisin
I have read a lot more short stories in the past year. I have always considered short stories the stepchildren of contemporary fiction. Novels are the alpha and omega for most contemporary fiction (literary & genre) readers. Novellas (short novels between 20k-50k words) have become popular in the social media age. But the average reader… Continue Reading
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 96: Black Titan by Carol Jenkins & Elizabeth Gardner Hines
“Athletes and musicians who have made millions in their industries deserve our respect, but it is critical that blacks understand that our history, and our (often neglected) successes, run deeper than that. All children need to be made familiar with images and stories of blacks who have found success in the boardroom and the… Continue Reading
Icon #14
Rocket learns a valuable lesson with the responsibility she has as a superhero and being Icon’s partner. She asks Icon to attend a community event, but he cannot attend because his day job as a lawyer demands his attention. Rocket is frustrated with his duties as a lawyer and they have an argument when Icon… Continue Reading
