Posts by David Benjamin
The machine-gun in the cloister
by David Benjamin “… Thus political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness. Defenceless villages are bombarded from the air, the inhabitants are driven out into the countryside, the cattle machine-gunned, the huts set on fire with incendiary bullets: this is called pacification…” — George Orwell, Politics and the English…
Read MoreComputer? … Computer! … COMPUTER!
by David Benjamin “The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play.” — Capt. James T. Kirk MADISON, Wis. — All through my grade-school years, a Friday afternoon tabloid called The Weekly Reader was every kid’s gateway to a golden tomorrow. In its inky newsprint pages were unveiled breathtaking technological…
Read MoreThe Elements of Character
As a young writer, a dilemma that troubled me was characters. I was busily writing sketches populated by imaginary people. But I wondered, are these guys, and girls, characters? Had I “developed” them, or did they just pop into my head, like visions of Milky Way bars and the Playmate of the Month? Since then,……
Read MoreDick’s “theory” rears its loony head … again
by David Benjamin “Donald Trump … suggested on Fox News Thursday night that [President] Biden should respond to the invasion by personally threatening to obliterate Russia with nuclear weapons.” — Greg Sargent, Washington Post MADISON, Wis. — David Brooks, the Times’ resident touchy-feely columnist, refers to Russian president Vladimir Putin as an “identity politician,” whose…
Read More“Memory Care”
by David Benjamin “… Strictly entre nous/ Darling, how are you?/ And how are all/ Those little dreams/ That never did come true?… ” — “Thanks for the Memory,” Leo Robin & Ralph Rainger MADISON, Wis. — Lately, I’ve been trampling on my sister’s memories. Margaret Ann Benjamin, henceforth referred to as Peg, was a…
Read MoreA novelist’s guide to dining in Paris
A novelist’s guide to dining in Paris One advantage of writing fantasy fiction is that you get to make up an entire world, with made-up heroes, damsels, villains, dragons, and an imaginary history. No fussy editor or reader can fact-check your backstory or expose your topographical blunders. On the other hand, when setting a story……
Read More“But, Sister, what if … ”
by David Benjamin “… There’s a limbo moon above/ You will fall in limbo love…” — Chubby Checker MADISON, Wis. — According to a shocking news bulletin, there are deacons in Catholic churches from Michigan to Arizona—and God only knows where else—performing counterfeit baptisms. Over the years, this scandal has affected hundreds, perhaps thousands of…
Read MoreThe allure of formula in mystery prose
The allure of formula in mystery prose Formula is the resort of the mediocre writer. It is, however, a resort visited occasionally by even the best of authors, especially when a story — faithful at first to formula — veers off the hackneyed path and springs a surprise. The two genres most subject to formula……
Read MorePsycho 1: The summit meeting we’d like to see
by David Benjamin “Potential criminal defendants who are prosecuted on more recent, ‘easier’ grounds are not necessarily brought to justice on each and every instance of wrongdoing. Al Capone famously went to prison for tax evasion, not for his violent crimes.” — Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post SOMEWHERE OFF ROUTE 1, FREDERICKSBURG, Va.— They had maintained scrupulous…
Read MoreConfessions of a love bombardier
by David Benjamin “One partner, typically male but not exclusively, showers the other person with attention, affection, compliments, flattery, and essentially creates this context where she feels like she’s met her soul mate…” — Chitra Raghavan, professor of psychology, John Jay College MADISON, Wis. — Apparently, one can nowadays sexually harass someone remotely by means…
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