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Release by Hope Russell Nunki | BookLife
"Nunki has effectively plotted a woman’s meandering journey through past relationships... Her command of setting is strong—she captures both Chicago and Sedona very well. Readers will recognize aspects of their own lives in Mandelyn and will enjoy following her journey."
What We Learned About Gender Diversity From Over 3,000 Photographers
One of the most important issues facing workers in any profession today is gender diversity–and as we discovered, it’s a discussion that photographers can’t ignore any longer. We searched for a set of data that was a good snapshot of how the photo industry works, and came across...
Outlander: Know Thy Enemy — a Review of The Garrison Commander, Episode 106
Writing these reviews months after the episodes' premier dates gives me a certain latitude, but it's not without its challenges. Sure, I have hundreds of blogs, podcasts, "behind the scenes" clips ......
Juxtaposition: Lois Conner's “Beijing: Contemporary and Imperial ...
Released by Princeton Architectural Press nearly one year ago, Conner’s latest book has been hailed among the best monographs of 2014. It’s easy to see why. With more than ninety banquet camera-captured platinotype images within its pages, this work has something for both sinophiles and photography aficionados alike.
The Mentally Ill Are Annoying | Hope Russell Nunki
Release is a story about Mandelyn, a woman getting her life back together in the midst of depression. Note that I didn’t say “after” depression. True depression doesn’t end. It can be mitigated, and its intensity may recede on occasion, but it doesn’t ever completely go away.
Depression isn’t pretty, neither for the sufferers nor anyone with whom they interact. Their behavior can come across as “weak,” despite...
The Seductive Dangers of Fantasy Casting | Hope Russell Nunki
There are so many reasons to avoid the game—choosing actors to play characters from your novel, if or when a movie is finally made.
One reason is that the exercise doesn’t account for the actor’s ability to inhabit a role. Sure, actors ought to have some passing resemblance to their literary inspirations, but there’s a great deal more to playing a part than that.
Outlander: Prologue and Foreplay - Recap of Sassenach, Episode 1.01
We're just about eight weeks out from the return of new Outlander episodes, so there's no time like the present to revisit the past. I do not hold myself up as the paragon Outlander expert. I'm jus......
Triple-Dog Dare | Hope Russell Nunki
Each step I take to market and publish Release feels like another in a series of escalating dares I give myself. “Bet you don’t give the book to your mother or mother-in-law to read. Bet you won’t email Nick. Bet you won’t tweet Jim. Bet you won’t ask for reviews or endorsements from anyone, let alone get anyone to agree to it.” “The ask” is hard at any level. When it’s asking a friend, a reputation’s on the line. When it’s an admired, established, even public figure, it’s just tongue-to-a flagpole nerve-racking.
More Real than Reality: Cig Harvey's “Gardening at Night” - ONWARD
“Magical realism” is phrase bandied about with regard to Cig Harvey’s artwork, but that description sells her work short. With saturated color, layered textures, intentional focus, and seraphic light, she captures greater authenticity than what the eye perceives in an instant. Harvey’s work coalesces the visual narrative with all the sensory and emotional aspects of the moment intact.
Leave Only Footprints: Rachel Sussman’s “The Oldest Living Things in the World”
Take notice of quiet, unassuming people, especially if they look like they’ve logged some hard miles or have a few years on the crowd. These people are usually the wisest, hardiest, most fascinating ones around. They are the ones who can share profound stories—the ones that give us a new perspective on life.
Agent Query Wisdom, Courtesy of Charlie Bucket & Joel Goodson | Hope Russell Nunki
When I was assembling my initial list of agents to query, I oscillated among the qualities I should prioritize. Should I go with a big-name mega-agency or a boutique? Should I select someone who represents household name authors, or is a volume of yeoman authors succeeding in my niche more important? Do I want a wizened agent or someone younger and hungrier?
I arrived at the unhelpful answers of “Yes, Of Course, Both, More, and Please.”
I was Veruca Salt.
Outlander: Illusions I Recall—A Review of Both Sides Now, Episode 108
I've been rather fangirl-swoony in my reviews of Outlander up to this point. Counting the hours until the series return, I really wanted to glow about Both Sides Now, but I just couldn't. Even this......
Outlander: You Had One Job—A Review of "By the Pricking of My Thumbs," Episode 110
In my last post, I called attention to the number of parallels among the many Outlander characters' plot lines. I get to do something similar this week, except instead of plot lines, By the Prickin......
Outlander: Like La bohème, but with Less Consumption and More Live Pigs – A Review of Rent (Episode 105)
Definition of Rent: 1: To grant or gain temporary possession and enjoyment of something in exchange for payment. 2: An opening made by or as if by rending. 3: A split in a party or organized group;......
Outlander: The One With All The Reckonings—A Review of Episode 109 (Part 2)
Ain' No Party Like a Leoch Party Having all but exhausted my thoughts on this episode's first half, let's get our arses back to Leoch, where the most awkward surprise wedding reception ever awaits ......