Short & Long Stories
I lucked into an outstanding YA novel whose jacket was missing. Curious as to what it was about, I dove in. A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park won the Newberry Award in 2002. Set in 12th century Korea, it’s the story of a pre-pubescent orphan who lives with an old man crippled since birth. They make their home under a bridge during warm months, in a confined space in winter. During his daily forages for food, he observes the area’s potters, especially the most gifted, a gruff, married, elderly man. He manages to get a job with the master, whose son died as a child. He longs to be a potter himself. Eventually he is sent to deliver examples of his master’s work to an emissary of the royal family, whose approval would lead to a handsome commission. He journeys on foot for several days. In only 148 pages the author manages to paint an in depth portrait of these lives. I was particularly taken with the protagonist’s relationship with his surrogate father, a positive soul despite his handicap. The prose and dialogue are first rate. The book’s appeal is not restricted to young adults, at least not in the eyes of my 71-year-old self. I enjoyed the work, even though I haven’t the slightest interest in the making of pottery. 800+ users at Amazon have rated A Single Shard, forging to a consensus of 4.7 on a scale of five. I’ll go with four. It would make an excellent movie. Park, 61, has published a total of 16 novels, nine picture books and five volumes of poetry. Kudos.
Headline for Kyle Smith’s op-ed piece at nypost.com: “Socialist standards Masks for waiters and servants — but not for AOC and the rest.” Who’s surprised?
Does anything manifest man’s folly more than this dabbling with fentanyl? How many people have to die of an overdose before common sense kicks in? And it seems to cross all class lines. Geez.
Holy cow — I agree with a Quid Pro Joe move! Headline from newsmax.com: “Australia to Get US Nuclear Submarine Technology as China Looms Large.”
Here’s a scary NM headline: “Report: Gangs Operate Within LA County Sheriff’s Department.” WTF?
I was expecting rain, and none came. I was expecting scant business, given the holiday, and the floating book shop’s haul was better than average. My thanks to the kind folks who bought and donated stuff. Here’s what sold: eight DVDs in English, three in Russian; five hardcovers in Russian; It’s Raining Cats & Dogs by Jackie Franza; and Cooking 1–2–3: 500 Fabulous Three-Ingredient Recipes by Rozanne Gold… I learned a little about Lou, a retired cabbie pushing 80 who’s always looking for DVDs in the action genre. He’s had 17 cancer operations, the most recent removal of two melanomas from his forehead. He has myasthenia gravis, a muscular disorder, although one wouldn’t know it by looking at him. He’s had a bullet in his knee since age 20, something he dubbed a long story. All the best, sir.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
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