literary
criticism

- reviews by Hart Williams -

If you watched the heroic struggle
of the 10-2 Wyoming Cowboys:

two plays from perfection, yet "too
small" for a bowl game, click the button

Long ago, when I was starting out, I busted my heinie trying to get into the Los Angeles Times. Six months of hard work paid off when I received 1/2 a column inch in the Sunday book review. I went to the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner (RIP), and they said: "Nobody's ever asked before." From 1978 to 1982, I often got a half page on Sundays.

Since then, I have been a sort of Johnny Bookreview, founding pages with the SANTA FE SUN , the The Eugene Register-Guard (1993-4), and talking the Orange County Register (1987-88) into using local writers, instead of cribbing it all off the wire.

Why do I do book reviews? (It sure as hell ain't the $$$) Well, perhaps because, as I was taught, if writers leave reviewing ONLY to the cub reporters (the usual folk handed reviewing chores) we do our profession a disservice.

Criticism is the judicial function of the writing process. And, it is, finally, in our enlightened best interest
to engage in it, though the money be poor, and the hours long [and the books execrable, too often!]. Criticism is the repayment of my debt to our profession.

You can find some recent WASHINGTON POST pieces by searching at the link under my name. Leave the other fields blank. I am a Member of The National Book Critics Circle

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun

The frumious Bandersnatch!"

1. The Current BOOKSHELF Column

[The Mark of Cain - Science Fiction as Literature]

2. My BOOKSHELF Archive

Looking up the "Rama: Lama? Ding-dong?" review, the following should be added from the February, 1996 Santa Fe SUN: "Hart Williams' review of 'Surfing The Himalayas' has attracted national attention. The ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL, WASHINGTON POST, NEWSWEEK, and WIRED have all sought him out and some have printed excerpts of last month's review. Here at THE SUN we've always known of the quality of Hart's critical skills. Now the rest of the country can see what we've known all along. -- Ed.

3. A video representation of Mr. Williams for the curious.

[Like I became a writer because I was in love with my face, right?]

4. "Custer's Lemonade Stand"

[History Wars again! With NASTY LETTERS coming SOON!]

5. The Emperor's New Clothes, Part I: A Deep Malaise

[or, what the hell is wrong with American Letters?]

6. The Emperor's New Clothes, Part II: Interstate

[Finalist for the National Book Award, he must know where the bodies are buried.
Not ONE NBCC member so much as nominated this dreadful, self-indulgent garbage!]

7. The Emperor's New Clothes, Part III: Hope

8. "Hiroshima Non Amour"

[That gosh-darned racist WWII! Nasty Reader Letters, COMING SOON!]

9. 1996 Christmas BookShelf Suggestions

[or, what to get for the bookish friend who's read everything?]

The vorpal blade went snicker snack!

1. Criticism 2. Stories 3. Politics 4. Miscellany
5. Links 6. Virtual Santa Fe

Well, we've been reviewed, too: Excite's NetReviews:

- Don't Miss "Believe it or not, there's some first-rate prose on the Web. Hart Williams is a columnist for the Santa Fe Sun and several other Southwestern newspapers; he's posted a bunch of his columns and book reviews, as well as short stories and unclassifiable gems. He's smart; he's informed; he's funny as hell." [Remember it's under "his vorpal sword"]

Jeepers! We've been reviewed (whooooa!), and were the WebRats' "cool site" [I think now they're DEAD, tho] for March 4, 1996. Of us, they state:

"his vorpal sword"

"Huh? We don't get it, but it is original, and it doesn't look bad. Apparently, (the best we can figure) a professional writer having some fun with his Web Page. Then again..."

[Fairly obvious why they didn't stay in business long, isn't it?]

All I can say is, gosh, golly, gee whiz! Now go look for THE SECRET PAGE! And, of course, those secret links ....

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last updated 11 December 96

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