That's Good; That's Bad

That's Good ... Hannah

She'll graduate this summer as a Wildlife Biologist but has been troubled about how to work with animals while remaining close to her other love ... urban life. (She's not fond of country life.) Her Urban Wildlife class gave her hope of a career combining both. This week 911 Wildlife made a recruitment presentation and she's over the moon. They're the only urban wildlife specialists who have built their business based on The Humane Society's plan for solving pest problems in a way that is good for the people and the animals. And then she could stay in Texas. That's good for us too!

That's Bad ... Newsweek and Shirley Jackson

In this Newsweek review of LOA books (via Books Inq) the writer derides LOA for producing a complete volume of Shirley Jackson's writing, "A writer mostly famous for one short story, "The Lottery." Is LOA about to jump the shark?"

Steven Riddle decrys reviewers who are ignorant of their subjects and I agree. Check his additional comments and my expansion on this topic in his comments box.

That's Good ... Rose

She's getting along swimmingly in her screenwriting class where they must produce a full length script. I have been having a grand time talking with her as her idea is developed. Naturally, as I am her mother, I am a fan. However, I like her idea so much that I want to see the movie it would make! Luckily, I am not the only fan Rose has. This teacher is making good comparisons to some famous writers who share Rose's gift for subtlety, irony, and unique presentation. Who knows how it will all wind up but it does give her hope that she might be able to write in addition to (or instead of) her planned editing career. Which she is brilliant at, I might add, as editing is story telling and that is her talent.

That's Bad ... WSJ and "And Then There Were None"
I am not even going to put the link to their travesty in describing Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" in the weekly column, "Five Best: Books on Guilt." I wonder if the guest author has even read the book since he misrepresented the point of why the nursery rhyme was in the bedrooms, in addition to revealing a point that is meant to dawn on the reader slowly. A more heinous crime is that the brief summary contains half of the solution to the entire mystery. In fact, what is revealed in that summary destroys most of the point of the afterward wherein the mystery is revealed as well as the sex of the murderer. For shame.

Also, if you haven't read (or reread) that book in a while, go get it. There is an excellent reason it is a mystery classic.