Richard Preston has released a new book about Ebola, the disease that keeps on coming.
Preston
first came to my attention with his riveting 1994 nonfiction
best-seller about the outbreak of Ebola in Africa, “The Hot Zone.” Born
in Cambridge, Preston graduated from Wellesley schools before departing
these parts for the world of infectious disease, bioterror threats and,
in 2011, co-author of Michael Crichton’s unfinished novel, “Micro,”
after Crichton died.
He’s not a geek - or at least, he didn’t
start out that way. His uninspired academic record blocked him from
acceptance at Pomona College in California. It was only weekly collect
calls to the dean that eventually earned him an acceptance. The dean
took a risk, and it paid off: Preston graduated summa cum laude. He
later earned a doctorate in English at Princeton University.
Since
then, he’s been an investigative journalist. Preston has long been a
regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine. His attention to detail,
horrific as it may be, has earned respect among scientists for precise
writing and depth of research. The American Institute of Physics and the
Centers for Disease Control both awarded his writing, among many
others.
His latest, “Crisis in the Red Zone,” updates Ebola’s
status and details the threat it presents in the future. The title
refers to the quarantine area. “Patients die in the red zone,” he says.
Preston writes of chaotic field hospitals struggling to contain the
threat (in Zaire, 11,000 died, now, in Congo, more than 1,600 have so
far died in the second outbreak). He profiles doctors and researchers
committed to fighting a nearly uncontainable disease, at the risk of
their own lives.
Don’t think the book will be a tome. His writing
is fluid and exceptionally readable. Preston knows how to tell a story
well, even when it’s the truth.
Recommendation
In
related viral zone fiction, David Koepp, screenwriter for “Mission:
Impossible” and “Spider-Man,” has a first novel, being released Sept. 3.
“Cold Storage” is the story of a long-buried organism that emerges,
threatening mass extinction. Fun topic for summer, right? It’s a
thriller.
"The Guest Book"
Author Stephen King, highly
recommends Sarah Blake’s novel, “The Guest Book,” to book clubs. “Lots
to unpack there,” he says. Critics have also dubbed it “monumental” and
“an American epic.” It revolves around a Crockett Island, Maine, family
across three generations. I'm midway through it--it's multi-layered but fresh. Blake is available to Skype during club
meetings. sarahblakebookclubs@gmail.com.
Friday, August 2, 2019
New England area writers
Knowing about local authors and buying their books will support the
writing community near home and may also give you an advantage in
finding someone to visit or Skype with your club.
A local independent bookstore is also likely to know who is writing excellent books within your community. Another way to find them is to look for readings at area writing collaboratives, libraries and organizations that spotlight writers in a literary series like the Jewish Community Center series in Worcester. Many regional authors have been profiled or mentioned in this column; a short listing may give your group its next read. (Not all are available for visits or Skype events.)
Ali Hosseini of Hudson, author of “The Lemon Grove” and “The Place of Stones,” beautifully depicts the Iranian culture of his youth and the conflicts in modern Iran that changed what was an idyllic life for its people to one of suffering amid war and loss of their livelihoods. It’s published by Northwestern University Press; his webpage is www.alihosseini.com.
Ursula Wong of Chelmsford, whose fictional series on the Lithuanian resistance to Soviet occupation after World War II began with “Amber Wolf” and continued with “Amber War” and “Amber Widow,” is also the author of short stories and the novel, “Purple Trees.” She is at work on “Black Amber,” about a Boston man who plots to stop Russian plans for a gas line under the Baltic Sea. She will sign books in Putnam, Connecticut, during the July 21 Lithuanian Summer Festival there. Contact urslwng@gmail.com.
Mary Bonina, who grew up in Worcester, became a sought-after teacher of memoir writing after writing her own, “My Father’s Eyes: A Memoir.” A Cambridge resident, Bonina gives readings at libraries and literary events. Contact her at http://www.marybonina.com.
Poet and songwriter Rich Marcello of Harvard has written several novels including “The Color of Home,” “The Big Wide Calm” and “The Beauty of the Fall.” He teaches creative writing through Seven Bridge Writers Collaborative in Lancaster and is writing “The Latecomers,” his fourth novel. Contact him at www.richmarcello.com/contact.
Joe W. Bebo of Hudson recently released “Alex - A Lesson in Courage,” the story of a special needs boy surrounded by many people who cared enough to make his life better. Other self-published books include historical fiction, sci-fi and horror. See more on Facebook. To contact, joewbebobooks@gmail.com.
Frances Brown of Webster writes paranormal romance, women’s fiction and contemporary romance under the pseudonym Claire Gem. If that’s your thing, her books include the newest, “Electricity,” from her Haunted Voices series. Learn more at https://clairegem.com. She’ll read from and sign copies of “Electricity” from 1 to 3 p.m. July 20 in Booklovers’ Gourmet, 55 East Main St., Webster. This is Gem’s seventh novel, set on the grounds of a former Massachusetts mental asylum.
Steven E. Huff of Worcester wrote two humorous (and helpful) books based on the “Better Call Saul” and “Breaking Bad” TV series. His books are “Don’t Go to Jail!: Saul Goodman’s Guide to Keeping the Cuffs Off” and a follow-up book, “Get Off the Grid! Saul Goodman’s Guide to Staying Off the Radar.” An expert on crime nitty-gritty, he’s appeared on NBC’s “Dateline,” CBS’s “48 Hours Mystery” and MSNBC. Deputy digital editor for Maxim magazine, he writes for various online outlets and founded the first true-crime blog, True Crime Report. He also sings opera! More info at facebook.com/stevehuff.
R.A. Salvatore is an internationally recognized writer of fantasy series. He lives most of the year in California now, working, but is a Leominster resident who began his writing career there. Books include the latest Drizzt novel, “Boundless;” the Forgotten Realms series of trilogies and books; the Demon Wars and Dark Elf series; and “Star Wars: The New Jedi Order.”
Worcester native Thomas Christopher Greene has written a half-dozen books, including “The Headmaster’s Wife” and “The Perfect Liar” (2019). They’re clever and inventive. He lives in Vermont, where he founded the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier. Thomaschristophergreene.com.
A local independent bookstore is also likely to know who is writing excellent books within your community. Another way to find them is to look for readings at area writing collaboratives, libraries and organizations that spotlight writers in a literary series like the Jewish Community Center series in Worcester. Many regional authors have been profiled or mentioned in this column; a short listing may give your group its next read. (Not all are available for visits or Skype events.)
Ali Hosseini of Hudson, author of “The Lemon Grove” and “The Place of Stones,” beautifully depicts the Iranian culture of his youth and the conflicts in modern Iran that changed what was an idyllic life for its people to one of suffering amid war and loss of their livelihoods. It’s published by Northwestern University Press; his webpage is www.alihosseini.com.
Ursula Wong of Chelmsford, whose fictional series on the Lithuanian resistance to Soviet occupation after World War II began with “Amber Wolf” and continued with “Amber War” and “Amber Widow,” is also the author of short stories and the novel, “Purple Trees.” She is at work on “Black Amber,” about a Boston man who plots to stop Russian plans for a gas line under the Baltic Sea. She will sign books in Putnam, Connecticut, during the July 21 Lithuanian Summer Festival there. Contact urslwng@gmail.com.
Mary Bonina, who grew up in Worcester, became a sought-after teacher of memoir writing after writing her own, “My Father’s Eyes: A Memoir.” A Cambridge resident, Bonina gives readings at libraries and literary events. Contact her at http://www.marybonina.com.
Poet and songwriter Rich Marcello of Harvard has written several novels including “The Color of Home,” “The Big Wide Calm” and “The Beauty of the Fall.” He teaches creative writing through Seven Bridge Writers Collaborative in Lancaster and is writing “The Latecomers,” his fourth novel. Contact him at www.richmarcello.com/contact.
Joe W. Bebo of Hudson recently released “Alex - A Lesson in Courage,” the story of a special needs boy surrounded by many people who cared enough to make his life better. Other self-published books include historical fiction, sci-fi and horror. See more on Facebook. To contact, joewbebobooks@gmail.com.
Frances Brown of Webster writes paranormal romance, women’s fiction and contemporary romance under the pseudonym Claire Gem. If that’s your thing, her books include the newest, “Electricity,” from her Haunted Voices series. Learn more at https://clairegem.com. She’ll read from and sign copies of “Electricity” from 1 to 3 p.m. July 20 in Booklovers’ Gourmet, 55 East Main St., Webster. This is Gem’s seventh novel, set on the grounds of a former Massachusetts mental asylum.
Steven E. Huff of Worcester wrote two humorous (and helpful) books based on the “Better Call Saul” and “Breaking Bad” TV series. His books are “Don’t Go to Jail!: Saul Goodman’s Guide to Keeping the Cuffs Off” and a follow-up book, “Get Off the Grid! Saul Goodman’s Guide to Staying Off the Radar.” An expert on crime nitty-gritty, he’s appeared on NBC’s “Dateline,” CBS’s “48 Hours Mystery” and MSNBC. Deputy digital editor for Maxim magazine, he writes for various online outlets and founded the first true-crime blog, True Crime Report. He also sings opera! More info at facebook.com/stevehuff.
R.A. Salvatore is an internationally recognized writer of fantasy series. He lives most of the year in California now, working, but is a Leominster resident who began his writing career there. Books include the latest Drizzt novel, “Boundless;” the Forgotten Realms series of trilogies and books; the Demon Wars and Dark Elf series; and “Star Wars: The New Jedi Order.”
Worcester native Thomas Christopher Greene has written a half-dozen books, including “The Headmaster’s Wife” and “The Perfect Liar” (2019). They’re clever and inventive. He lives in Vermont, where he founded the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier. Thomaschristophergreene.com.
Field trips to author's homes near Boston
Field trip, book clubs! Summer offers an opportunity to visit
literary locations. Concord is a big one, home to houses lived in by
“Little Women” author Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph
Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Boston publisher Daniel Lothrop,
whose wife, Harriet (Margaret Sidney), wrote the “Five Little Peppers”
series.
It’s not as far away as Salem, where the actual House of Seven Gables is located, or Hartford, Conn., where Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) lived and wrote, and Concord has nearby shops and restaurants.
The Wayside — the first literary site added to the National Park Service — was first built around 1717 as home to Samuel Whitney, a Revolutionary war soldier. The Alcotts lived there after moving from communal living in Harvard. Louisa’s father, Bronson Alcott, was an eccentric who wanted no part of it (having not recovered from his failed living experiment at Harvard’s Fruitlands, another neat spot to visit).
They named the house Hillside. Neighbor and fellow author Ralph Waldo Emerson helped them find it, even loaning the family some money toward its purchase; Mrs. Alcott paid the rest. She would later tire of Concord and move the family toward Boston, selling to Nathaniel Hawthorne, for $1,500! It was Hawthorne who renamed it the Wayside.
Hawthorne lived there from 1852-1869, writing “The Scarlet Letter,” “House of the Seven Gables” and other fiction.
The public may visit; the house is part of Minute Man National Historical Park and located at 455 Lexington Road. These writers tackled issues familiar to Americans who know their history — the Alcotts sheltered at least two runaway slaves, becoming part of the Underground Railroad network. They lived in the house from 1845 to 1852, and this was where Louisa May Alcott envisioned much of the childhood portrayed in her book, “Little Women.”
Daniel and Harriet Lothrop and, subsequently, their daughter Margaret, owned the house between 1883 and 1965. While lesser known, Margaret’s “Little Peppers” series was a huge hit in the early 1900s. In 1965, it became part of the national park.
More summer club suggestions:
Katherine Howe, “The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs.”
The author of “The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane” returns with the story of a New England history professor engaged in a race against time to free her family from a curse. Look for it on shelves now.
Tom Phillips has released “Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It all Up.”
The fall book club discussion will be lively and unquestionably funny after the group reads this collection of “wish-you-were-there” moments from history, spanning culture, science, politics and war. It details how infamous screw-ups in human nature came at just the wrong moment, entertaining the rest of us for decades. Samples: The Taiwanese general who stored gunpowder in his palace before a lantern festival, and an army attacking itself after a little too much alcohol consumption. Students sweating out history courses might enjoy this book as well. Nonfiction.
It’s not as far away as Salem, where the actual House of Seven Gables is located, or Hartford, Conn., where Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) lived and wrote, and Concord has nearby shops and restaurants.
The Wayside — the first literary site added to the National Park Service — was first built around 1717 as home to Samuel Whitney, a Revolutionary war soldier. The Alcotts lived there after moving from communal living in Harvard. Louisa’s father, Bronson Alcott, was an eccentric who wanted no part of it (having not recovered from his failed living experiment at Harvard’s Fruitlands, another neat spot to visit).
They named the house Hillside. Neighbor and fellow author Ralph Waldo Emerson helped them find it, even loaning the family some money toward its purchase; Mrs. Alcott paid the rest. She would later tire of Concord and move the family toward Boston, selling to Nathaniel Hawthorne, for $1,500! It was Hawthorne who renamed it the Wayside.
Hawthorne lived there from 1852-1869, writing “The Scarlet Letter,” “House of the Seven Gables” and other fiction.
The public may visit; the house is part of Minute Man National Historical Park and located at 455 Lexington Road. These writers tackled issues familiar to Americans who know their history — the Alcotts sheltered at least two runaway slaves, becoming part of the Underground Railroad network. They lived in the house from 1845 to 1852, and this was where Louisa May Alcott envisioned much of the childhood portrayed in her book, “Little Women.”
Daniel and Harriet Lothrop and, subsequently, their daughter Margaret, owned the house between 1883 and 1965. While lesser known, Margaret’s “Little Peppers” series was a huge hit in the early 1900s. In 1965, it became part of the national park.
More summer club suggestions:
Katherine Howe, “The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs.”
The author of “The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane” returns with the story of a New England history professor engaged in a race against time to free her family from a curse. Look for it on shelves now.
Tom Phillips has released “Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It all Up.”
The fall book club discussion will be lively and unquestionably funny after the group reads this collection of “wish-you-were-there” moments from history, spanning culture, science, politics and war. It details how infamous screw-ups in human nature came at just the wrong moment, entertaining the rest of us for decades. Samples: The Taiwanese general who stored gunpowder in his palace before a lantern festival, and an army attacking itself after a little too much alcohol consumption. Students sweating out history courses might enjoy this book as well. Nonfiction.
Summertime reading choices
Summer offers time to squeeze in books you’ve wanted to read or
something new and quirky. I stock the sunroom bookshelf with short
stories, novels and nonfiction, as well as a stack of unread magazines
and the summer Fiction Issue of The New Yorker.
Too many books, too little time — so this list is short and by no means exclusive. There are no baseball memoirs, heavy plots or historical tomes — just a few good reads.
I’d like to share your suggestion for a great summer read. Send it to the address below. For the moment, put up your hair, grab a cold drink and relax.
Jennifer Weiner, “Mrs. Everything”
For book clubs, this may be a perfect summer read: Jennifer Weiner’s “Mrs. Everything” penetrates the lives of two sisters from the 1950s to the present as the world changes around them. This story of women’s lives over the ’60s and ’70s and later decades, offers more than a light read. Publication date is June 11. Fiction.
Barbara Bourland, “Fake Like Me”
I didn’t expect to like this one but ended up devouring it. Bourland tells a well-informed story about a young artist who loses her work in a fire three months before a break-out show. Her attempt to recreate what’s been lost takes her to an artists’ colony where death, ego and dedication co-exist. The book reveals fascinating, insider details about the artist’s process, and the callous business of art collecting they must negotiate. There’s a mystery, too, and a bit of romance amid details of making art which only the initiated can provide. Fiction.
Jenna Blum, “The Lost Family”
Blum is out in paperback with the story of a family haunted by World War II experiences across several decades. There’s guilt and tragic loss, but also the beginnings of love and hope in a story that penetrates the shadows of war in succeeding generations. Blum wrote the wonderful “Those Who Save Us,” so I expect a lot from her in this one. Historical fiction.
Dani Shapiro, “Inheritance”
DNA testing seemed like fun in the early days. Now, it’s being used in criminal investigations and revealing family secrets. Novelist and memoirist Dani Shapiro took a DNA test casually, only to discover that her deceased father had not been, in fact, her biological father, and that her blonde, Scandinavian appearance signaled more than a fluke in her Orthodox Jewish family. Her search for her past leads her to memories and questions that unsettle her life. Nonfiction.
Kilgariff and Hardstark, “Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered”
Watch enough news shows and you’ll run into Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, hosts of the “My Favorite Murder” podcast and now authors of “Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered.” This book’s packed with humor amid the in-your-face reality of women’s lives — depression, eating disorders, addiction and the like. Yet, somehow, it’s funny. For a sample, tune in to their podcast. Author Jenny Lawson calls it “the best advice your mother never told you.” Humor.
Elizabeth Gilbert, “City of Girls”
Gilbert’s “Eat Pray Love” became a best-seller. Now, she switches to the fleeting nature of life and pleasure in this story of a young woman in 1940s New York City, who discovers she doesn’t have to be a “good girl” to be a good person. “City of Girls” is flavored by the impending entry of the U.S. into World War II.
Enjoy. By the way, if you haven’t yet read them, try: Delia Owens’ “Where the Crawdads Sing;” Martha Hall Kelly’s “Lost Roses;” Louise Penny’s “Glass Houses” and Susan R. White’s “A Place at the Table.”
Too many books, too little time — so this list is short and by no means exclusive. There are no baseball memoirs, heavy plots or historical tomes — just a few good reads.
I’d like to share your suggestion for a great summer read. Send it to the address below. For the moment, put up your hair, grab a cold drink and relax.
Jennifer Weiner, “Mrs. Everything”
For book clubs, this may be a perfect summer read: Jennifer Weiner’s “Mrs. Everything” penetrates the lives of two sisters from the 1950s to the present as the world changes around them. This story of women’s lives over the ’60s and ’70s and later decades, offers more than a light read. Publication date is June 11. Fiction.
Barbara Bourland, “Fake Like Me”
I didn’t expect to like this one but ended up devouring it. Bourland tells a well-informed story about a young artist who loses her work in a fire three months before a break-out show. Her attempt to recreate what’s been lost takes her to an artists’ colony where death, ego and dedication co-exist. The book reveals fascinating, insider details about the artist’s process, and the callous business of art collecting they must negotiate. There’s a mystery, too, and a bit of romance amid details of making art which only the initiated can provide. Fiction.
Jenna Blum, “The Lost Family”
Blum is out in paperback with the story of a family haunted by World War II experiences across several decades. There’s guilt and tragic loss, but also the beginnings of love and hope in a story that penetrates the shadows of war in succeeding generations. Blum wrote the wonderful “Those Who Save Us,” so I expect a lot from her in this one. Historical fiction.
Dani Shapiro, “Inheritance”
DNA testing seemed like fun in the early days. Now, it’s being used in criminal investigations and revealing family secrets. Novelist and memoirist Dani Shapiro took a DNA test casually, only to discover that her deceased father had not been, in fact, her biological father, and that her blonde, Scandinavian appearance signaled more than a fluke in her Orthodox Jewish family. Her search for her past leads her to memories and questions that unsettle her life. Nonfiction.
Kilgariff and Hardstark, “Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered”
Watch enough news shows and you’ll run into Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, hosts of the “My Favorite Murder” podcast and now authors of “Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered.” This book’s packed with humor amid the in-your-face reality of women’s lives — depression, eating disorders, addiction and the like. Yet, somehow, it’s funny. For a sample, tune in to their podcast. Author Jenny Lawson calls it “the best advice your mother never told you.” Humor.
Elizabeth Gilbert, “City of Girls”
Gilbert’s “Eat Pray Love” became a best-seller. Now, she switches to the fleeting nature of life and pleasure in this story of a young woman in 1940s New York City, who discovers she doesn’t have to be a “good girl” to be a good person. “City of Girls” is flavored by the impending entry of the U.S. into World War II.
Enjoy. By the way, if you haven’t yet read them, try: Delia Owens’ “Where the Crawdads Sing;” Martha Hall Kelly’s “Lost Roses;” Louise Penny’s “Glass Houses” and Susan R. White’s “A Place at the Table.”
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