Monthly Archives: July 2018

The Dictator’s Handbook by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith: the black heart of politics

Posted on 28 July 2018 by Paul Vitols

The Dictator’s Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics by Bruce Bueno De Mesquita My rating: 5 of 5 stars Finally! Someone has figured out why politics works the way it does. I first heard about this book … Continue reading →

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art is like life: scary

Posted on 22 July 2018 by Paul Vitols

So much of the writing life—as with the rest of life—is about managing fear. Maybe managing is not the right word, since it seems to imply competence and control. But fear plays a big part in our lives, shaping the … Continue reading →

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reading as theater

Posted on 10 July 2018 by Paul Vitols

When I was little, I loved being read to. My mother was good about this, and would often bring library books home and read them to my sister Mara and me. I also had some books of my own, and … Continue reading →

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