Let me say first, I feel fortunate. Unlike many who are struggling in these desperate times, my wife and I have the resources to weather the storm -- at least for now. My heart goes out to those who do not.
My community of Las Vegas is feeling the brunt. For the first time since the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, the Strip has shut down. Casinos, hotels, and restaurants, the economic engine of this tourist town, are closing their doors. Like many, I wonder when the worst will pass. I wonder when I will be able to resume work, look at a 401k statement without closing my eyes, or visit a store without seeing empty shelves and long lines. The challenges created by the spread of COVID-19 are both serious and numerous.
But so are the opportunities. If there is one thing that tough times force you to do, it is to rearrange priorities. Difficult experiences also prompt you to do things things you might not otherwise do. For some, it means volunteering, exercising more, or tackling projects around the house. For most, it means finding productive and meaningful uses of time when that typically scarce resource is suddenly in abundance. I know it does for me. I did not plan to start my next book for several more weeks. But it did not take me long to realize that home quarantine was an opportunity to do now what I might not be able to do -- or do as quickly -- later. Time, to a writer, is a gift.
So I jumped back in. I finished a chapter summary, ordered some research materials, read a few books, and watched some documentaries. I did and will continue to do what I can to make the most of a trying situation. I will begin writing the second novel in the Time Box series before the end of the month and plan to publish it by the summer. I hope that when the book does comes out, the world will be a healthier, happier, and less stressful place. I think we all do.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Monday, March 2, 2020
Review: Outlander (TV series)
For someone obsessed with time travel, I took my time getting around to the gold standard of the genre. I didn't read Outlander, published in 1991, until ten years ago and didn't take on the rest of the story until it became a miniseries in 2014. But as they say, better late than never.
For those of you with trial STARZ accounts, or Facebook pages with advertisements that remind you of those accounts, the Outlander series, now in its fifth season, is a pretty big thing right now. And for good reason. It is world-class entertainment.
The series, based on Diana Gabaldon's novels, follows nurse Claire Randall Fraser from 1946 to 1743 and beyond on a journey through time. Along the way, Claire, played by Caitriona Balfe, tries to find her place in two worlds -- the world of Frank Randall, her professor husband, and that of James "Jamie" Fraser, her hunky highlander.
Though the Outlander series has long been considered a staple of romance, I appreciate it most for its attention to other things. Even without the sex scenes -- and yes, there are plenty of those -- it would stand on its own as an achievement of historical fiction.
It does not matter if an episode is set in Scotland in the 1740s, Boston in the 1960s, or the colony of North Carolina in the 1770s. The writers and producers make it work. They give you the glory and misery of each place and era. They provide the grit, the costumes, the accents, and the settings that so many others do not.
Beyond the attention to historical detail, I like how the main characters adapt to their changing surroundings. Claire evolves from nurse to "healer" to modern physician and back in the series and makes the most of what she has. In Season 5, she makes homemade penicillin from bread mold to treat colonial neighbors who think mercury pills and blood-letting are the answer to every ill.
Similarly, Jamie, played by the charismatic Sam Heughan, evolves from soldier to printer to landowner while supporting and mentoring a host of family and friends. Though Claire is the central figure in the series, Jamie is the most compelling. He retains his humor and his humanity despite challenges that would break other men.
I would recommend the series, in any format, to anyone. In a world where so many books, movies, and television series are overrated, this magnificent collection delivers the goods. Rating: 5/5.
For those of you with trial STARZ accounts, or Facebook pages with advertisements that remind you of those accounts, the Outlander series, now in its fifth season, is a pretty big thing right now. And for good reason. It is world-class entertainment.
The series, based on Diana Gabaldon's novels, follows nurse Claire Randall Fraser from 1946 to 1743 and beyond on a journey through time. Along the way, Claire, played by Caitriona Balfe, tries to find her place in two worlds -- the world of Frank Randall, her professor husband, and that of James "Jamie" Fraser, her hunky highlander.
Though the Outlander series has long been considered a staple of romance, I appreciate it most for its attention to other things. Even without the sex scenes -- and yes, there are plenty of those -- it would stand on its own as an achievement of historical fiction.
It does not matter if an episode is set in Scotland in the 1740s, Boston in the 1960s, or the colony of North Carolina in the 1770s. The writers and producers make it work. They give you the glory and misery of each place and era. They provide the grit, the costumes, the accents, and the settings that so many others do not.
Beyond the attention to historical detail, I like how the main characters adapt to their changing surroundings. Claire evolves from nurse to "healer" to modern physician and back in the series and makes the most of what she has. In Season 5, she makes homemade penicillin from bread mold to treat colonial neighbors who think mercury pills and blood-letting are the answer to every ill.
Similarly, Jamie, played by the charismatic Sam Heughan, evolves from soldier to printer to landowner while supporting and mentoring a host of family and friends. Though Claire is the central figure in the series, Jamie is the most compelling. He retains his humor and his humanity despite challenges that would break other men.
I would recommend the series, in any format, to anyone. In a world where so many books, movies, and television series are overrated, this magnificent collection delivers the goods. Rating: 5/5.
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