When I received my review copy of “Winter Gets Hot” from LibraryThing, all I really knew about the book and its merits was that it was – according to the jacket, at least – “The eagerly anticipated sequel to ‘Winter In Chicago.’”

I wasn’t familiar with that book or its author, David M. Hamlin. But after reading this ‘eagerly anticipated sequel,’ I will probably be searching for that earlier work, adding it to my e-bookshelf, and learning more about Emily Winter’s introduction to the Windy City, and vice-versa.
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Tags: books & writing by Jeff McDonald
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My dissertation advisor, Dr. Eli Goldblatt, is retiring after many years at Temple University. I wrote the following as part of a tribute to the great man that took place at Temple on April 1.

“A Real Advisor (We’ll Call Him ‘Eli’) and a Gloomy, Lethargic, Uncertain Grad Student (GLUGS)”

A short play. [Read more →]

Tags: virtual children by Scott Warnock by Scott Warnock
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He is risen …
Christ is risen, indeed …

“We are the Easter people,” Pastor Jim Miles of First Prez-Fort Stockton reminds us ….. and that is what we affirm today, the day for which we have prepared all week, the day for which we live at all times. A promise was made on a joyful, star-lit night, in a stable in Bethlehem … but that promise was kept on a bloody, storm-darkened day, on a hill outside of Jerusalem.

A good crowd for early service this morning at First Prez-Midland, and I don’t think anyone went home disappointed. The church’s staff and ministry did themselves proud today, and the message of Christ’s resurrection – and our salvation – was loud, clear and compelling.

Today, there was a little something for everyone … including me. A small notice in the church bulletin said, “Those who have sung the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ and would like to join with the choir in this great anthem, please come to the chancel during the singing of ‘The Day of Resurrection.'”
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Tags: art & entertainment, religion & philosophy by Jeff McDonald
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Big day, tomorrow … and not just for all Christians, but for all peoples … that’s what I believe.

“We are the Easter people,” Pastor Jim Miles of First Prez-Fort Stockton would remind us, and not just in the days leading up to Easter, but throughout the year. And that is what we affirm tomorrow, the day for which we have been preparing over the past six weeks, the day for which we live – or at least try to live – at all times.

A promise was made on a joyful, star-lit night, in a stable in Bethlehem … but that promise was kept on a bloody, storm-darkened day, on a hill outside of Jerusalem … and later in a place of tombs in the early morning.
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Tags: diatribes, religion & philosophy by Jeff McDonald
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I am happy to announce that I have signed a book contract with Tiny Fox Press. My novel THE GREAT AMERICAN DECEPTION will be published in 2020. A bit more information about the book is here. I’ll be announcing book-related stuff at When Falls the Coliseum when I remember, but the most frequent updates will be at Twitter and my author Facebook page.

Tags: books & writing, creative writing by Scott Stein
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