Showing results by narrator "William Coon" in All Categories

At first glance, 'The Most Dangerous Game’ by Richard Connell, ‘Paul’s Case’ by Willa Cather, and ‘The Beast in the Jungle’ by Henry James have very little in common. In ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ Sanger Rainsford, an accomplished big game hunter, is marooned on a remote island that is inhabited by another big game hunter, General Zaroff, who has found a very twisted way to add thrills to his hunting parties.

Ah, childhood. A time of blissful innocence, "sweet pears and cakes." Not so fast. As Chekhov realistically observes, children are exposed to a wide range of experiences and emotions. Usually by adults, who long ago forgot what it was like to be a child. The children in this collection of stories range from two to nine years old, but they see it all, from life to death, from love to duplicity.

From the sublime to the ridiculous, Anton Chekhov saw it all. And he wrote about it as only a master storyteller can, capturing not only the nuances of human behavior, but also the motivations behind the behavior. Often, too, he found universal truths along the way. These stories cover a variety of themes, both comic and tragic, as his characters encounter religion, government bureaucracy, and each other. And although they were written long ago, they are still surprisingly fresh.

Matthew knows how things work. He's pretty much an expert. For example: friends. Friendship requires both give and take, and Matthew strongly prefers taking. The solution is close acquaintances - people who think you're their friend because you nod and act interested in whatever the hell they're talking about.

Fifteen years ago, when an interviewer for The Austin American-Statesman asked what it takes to be a writer, William Browning Spencer said, ‘You have to be willing to ruin the rest of your life.’ Mr. Spencer notes that the willingness is more important than the actual result, and that his life is not in ruins. But he does believe that risk-taking is part of the process, not only for the author but for his characters. This is certainly the case for the characters in this collection of stories.

"Take him home, love him, and save your money for his institutionalization when he turns 21." That was the best advice Dan Burns' family doctor could offer in 1990 when three-year-old Ben was diagnosed with autism. Saving Ben tells the story of Ben's regression as an infant into the world of autism and his journey toward recovery as a young adult. His father, Dan Burns, puts the reader in the passenger's seat as he struggles with medical service providers, the school system, extended family, and more.