GEOFF SCHUMACHER'S LAS VEGAS

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Schumacher Literary Hall of Fame

Here is a list of fiction writers who are among my personal favorites (with a representative book listed alongside). These are not the usual suspects, but some of the lesser-known writers I like. Richard Yates, "Revolutionary Road"; John Fante, "Ask the Dust"; Nelson Algren, "The Man with the Golden Arm"; Frederick Exley, "A Fan's Notes"; Charles Portis, "The Dog of the South"; John Williams, "Stoner"; Patrick Hamilton, "Hangover Square"; Richard Russo, "Empire Falls"; Richard Ford, "The Sportswriter"; Don DeLillo, "White Noise"; Jim Harrison, "True North"; Raymond Carver, "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?"; Willy Vlautin, "The Motel Life"; Michael Chabon, "The Wonder Boys"; Ian McEwan, "Atonement"; Colson Whitehead, "John Henry Days"; Orhan Pamuk, "Snow"; Junot Diaz, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao"; Avram Davidson, "Vergil in Averno"

Recent reading: recommended fiction

The Secret of Lost Things (2006), Sheridan Hay; Absurdistan (2006), Gary Shteyngart; Five Skies (2007), Ron Carlson; Citizen Vince (2005), Jess Walter; On Chesil Beach (2007), Ian McEwan; We're in Trouble (2005), Christopher Coake; Returning to Earth (2007), Jim Harrison; The Lay of the Land (2006), Richard Ford

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Geoff Schumacher

What's a dogsbody?

It's British slang for "a worker who has to do all the unpleasant or boring jobs that no one else wants to do."

October 2008



Out on a sturdy limb with Barack

Fri, 10/31/08 8:59 P GMT-08
A lot of Democrats are nervous right now. They're worried that John McCain somehow will upset Barack Obama on Election Day. All the numbers and scenarios suggest an Obama landslide, but Democrats have been here before and worry for good reason.I&

Chicago Trib: Socialists say Obama is no socialist

Mon, 10/20/08 9:35 P GMT-08
Rex W. Huppke, a Chicago Tribune reporter, turned in a wonderful story today about the latest outrageous claim from the McCain campaign. He begins his story:"These are hard times to be a socialist in America. And not just because there's a b

Obama trouncing McCain in newspaper endorsements

Sun, 10/19/08 6:19 P GMT-08
Editor & Publisher magazine tallies newspaper endorsements of presidential candidates. As of today, E&P's website has recorded 104 endorsements for Barack Obama and 32 for John McCain. This is a much bigger margin for the Democratic nomin

Oliver Stone's brilliant ‘W’ isn't what you probably think it is

Fri, 10/17/08 11:52 P GMT-08
Just saw "W" and I liked it a lot. But don't assume that this movie is a vicious partisan attack on George W. Bush. That's not what it is. Sure, Bush, nicely played by Josh Brolin, looks like a doofus a lot of the time, but honestly

No surprise — Obama wins third debate

Wed, 10/15/08 9:26 P GMT-08
Sen. Barack Obama was calm, cool and articulate and focused on the important issues. Sen. John McCain landed a few punches early in the debate but ultimately came off as angry, frustrated and desperate to try to make Obama look like a bad guy. McCain

Palin's next career?

Tue, 10/14/08 8:54 P GMT-08
Funny description of vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin: "Bible Spice."

Negative campaigning backfires on McCain

Tue, 10/14/08 8:38 P GMT-08
It doesn’t matter which party you are registered with or which candidate you support in the presidential election. Simple human decency demands that you see Sen. John McCain’s last-ditch campaign tactics for what they are.They are cynical