Hmm? What’s going on?
Well, I have been remiss in my duties as a purveyor of locally written and or provocative literature. You didn’t know that was one of my duties? Well, it is — even if it’s a little known facet of my life as town’s Newspaper Guy.
For the record my new business card does not say: Don Rush, reporter nor editor. It says: Don Rush, Newspaper Guy.
I figured a ‘title? like Assistant Publisher or Ad Manager or Columnist or Circulation Director or Snow Shoveler was too restrictive and those titles didn’t have any pizazz. So, I changed my business card to be more inclusive of the stuff I do, do.
At any rate, folks like to send me stuff. Sometimes spiteful words wishing that certain parts of me would wither away and fall off.
Most of the time folks just send in story ideas, constructive criticisms and the like. And, occasionally, they send me books to peruse, books they’ve written or ones they have read.
I have a stack of four books just collecting dust on the table next to my bed folks have sent that I haven’t told you about. Let’s change that, shall we?
This past summer Addison Township resident Gloria Nixon-John, sent me her book, The Killing Jar. She wrote a little note inside, ‘To Don, who still knows the power of the printed word.? Thank you, Gloria.
I got into this book chapters at a time. Then I would put it down and resume weeks later. Not because I didn’t like it, I was just bummed out by it.
The Killing Jar is based on the story of one of the youngest kids in America charged with a heinous murder. It’s co-authored by the kid’s psychologist Robert Noelker and is interesting because of this inside information.
How did this killer become a killer, what was his thought process and how did the ‘system,? his community and family let him down?
Interesting, but it’s still a bummer. If you like true crime books, head over to Barnes & Noble or go on-line to Amazon.com.
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Onalee Stonerock up Davison way (but originally from Clarkston), sent me the book, The Energy Non-Crisis by Lindsey Williams. Onalee has been very patient with me, as she sent me this book to read this past July, after reading a column where I complained about gas prices. Said Onalee in a note, ‘Dear Don, You might want to read this book — it’s a real eye-opener.?
The book went through at least seven printings from 1980 through 1988 and documents the author’s personal interviews with oil execs and government types. The author reports why gas prices are so high, and why they shouldn’t be!
Thank you Onalee. (You can now come by the office and pickup your book.)
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Not too long ago (so I’m not that much in trouble), Jill Stodola of Atlas Township, forked over her book, Cadavers and Cocktails — a collection of true stories from dark to light. Jill has put together a collection of ‘stories? from her life.
I put quotations around stories because the stories are almost poem-like. Some short, some long. Her life’s ups and her life’s down. Quick and interesting read. You can keep up on Jill and find out where you can get your hands on a copy of the book on the Cadavers and Cocktails Facebook Page.
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Finally, somebody sent me a copy of The Great Debasement — the 100-year dying of the dollar and how to get America’s money back, by Craig R. Smith.
I think this blurb on the back cover says it all, ‘After 100 years of deliberate debasement, the U.S. Dollar is dying. Our politicians have deceptively siphoned off so much of its value that a 2012 dollar has only two pennies of the purchasing power of the 1913 dollar.?
I recommend you read it. It’ll either make your blood boil or give you something to hate. It’s pretty darned easy to read, so you can get down with it in a couple of days.
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On a side note: I think we could get more of the younger generation interested in the written word if we traded classes like English Literature for Locally Written or Provocative Literature. Any of the world-class school districts in the area feel free to use this idea. Go ahead, steal it. I dare you.
Comments for Newspaper Guy can be e-mailed to Don@ShermanPublications.org