I drive my wife Karen crazy going to the movies because I can’t ever seem to just enjoy the film. I am always trying to figure out the who what where why and how it got made, particularly the how, including how it wasn’t made, how it could have been made, and why it wasn’t made that way.

So too with books. I don’t know to what extent I am really a “writer” but it’s hard for me to read just for the sake of reading. I am always looking at things from the author’s point of view. The choices made (or not made). Whether they were sub-conscious, semi-conscious, or by design. Whether and how the work is innovative. How I would have told the story. Whether it's a story I would have chosen to tell. Or whether it's a story I could have told even if I had wanted to.

In my literary blog, I try to approach things from this vantage point.

Not necessarily that it’s a literary blog for writers, as opposed to readers. Because I think readers get something out of looking at books in this way too.

It’s a little awkward for me to dish out literary criticism as if I were some type of successful writer. I’m pretty much a failure, professionally. (Unless, of course, you count legal writings and briefs.)

But, for some reason, (blind arrogance, undiscovered genius, something somewhere in between), I feel like I know what I am talking about.

I have read some literary blogs (or “Literary Blogs”) where the author basically posts something each day. I have, instead, tried to organize my literary blog by topics, because (a) most days I haven’t completed anything that’s worthy of discussion, and (b) I am generally too busy to post something new every day.

Nevertheless, I hope that visitors will find the discussion of literature, as well as television, music, and pop culture in general, somewhat interesting.

Thanks for visiting.


Steve Herman