Nonfiction that Reads Like Fiction: Tinder Box by Anthony P. Hatch

Fire bells ring. Reporters show up at the scene. Rescuers. Mass stampedes. People jumping out of windows. This is an exciting book. 

Once I started to read this book I could not put it down. (That may sound cliche, but it's true, and it's unusual for me.) The book tells the riveting story of the 1903 Iroquois Theatre disaster in Chicago. Over 600 people perished in a theater that was called "fireproof." 

Hatch introduces us to many characters--people inside and outside the theater. People who were supposed to go to the theater that night, but at the last minute they canceled their plans. And people who were not planning to go to the theater, but at the last minute decided to go. We see how the audience members and performers escape, or don't escape, and the impact that this has on the spectators watching the fire. The suspense is strong, and we don't know who will make it. 

The fire could have been prevented but the owners cut corners. Greed blinded them to fire safety and the theater, rather than having the top fire safety features required, was a tinder box. Hatch describes the fire for most of the book, but ends the tale talking about the trial. Today, over a hundred years later, corners are still cut that hurt our health and safety--the Rhode Island nightclub fire of 2003, the toxins in toys and pet food from China, the lack of levies for Katrina, etc. Though this disaster happened in 1903 it tells a story of today. 

Hatch, a former CBS broadcaster, spent over forty years researching this book, and it shows. The suspense and attention to detail are strong. This book made me think differently about nonficiton writing, and about our world. 

Play: The Goat or Who is Sylvia? by Edward Albee

What happens when the happily-married, successful Martin announces he is having an affair with a goat? Chaos ensues. This play examines questions about friendship, sexuality and trust. When should a friend reveal a secret? Can someone be in love with two females at once? What are the boundaries in families, friendships, life? 

The affair with the goat is just one of the shocking elements in the play. My friend, actor Wayne Cote, was lucky enough to see the 2002 Tony-winning show on Broadway. He says that after certain lines audience members were so surprised that they turned to each other and said, "Did they really just say that?" Cote also says that the play's end was so shocking to the audience that it took people a while to clap because they were so stunned. 

Like many Albee plays, this play has excellent dialogue, and has the reader/audience thinking about the play hours later. 

Poetry: Connecting the Dots by Maxine Kumin

The Pulitzer-Prize winning poet has done it again. Here is another fantastic collection from Maxine Kumin. She takes us on a journey through rural America. We meet her family.  Kumin is selective with her words and imagery, painting a picture that triggers both the mind and emotions. Each time I read from this book it inspires me to write. 

Fiction: Old School by Tobias Wolff

What do other writers sounds like? You can hear them in this book. The narrator and his friends are writers and students in a boarding school. They discuss writing and writers, such as Robert Frost, Ernest Hemingway and Ayn Rand. Wolff has accurately captured the voice of young writers--the way they speak to each other, the way they support each other while competing, the way they attack famous writers but secretly attack themselves. 

The book is about secrets. The narrator spends most of the book hiding a secret from the other students and trying to fit in with boys who come from very different backgrounds. The book climaxes when writing competition becomes too intense and drastic measures are taken. The secrets and the surprising consequences are worth the read. 

As a lifelong fan of Tobias Wolff, I was not surprised by the high quality of this book. Like his other work, the characterization is strong and the description is vivid. It is a great read for anyone, but it is especially fun for writers due to the writing references. 

Welcome to Writers' Favorite Books

Welcome to Writers' Favorite Books! 

Have a great book to recommend? Have a suggestion for a book that every writer should read? Looking for suggestions for good books to buy? This is the blog for you! Here's the place to share your thoughts on great books. 

This blog is open to all writers and readers. It originated as a blog for the writing community at www.literaryprojectmanagement.com. This is a community of writers that receives a writing newsletter each month with writing exercises and writing tips. (To receive the newsletter: email news@18cards.com) I have also invited my friends from the MFA Creative Writing Program at Goddard to participate. You may invite your writing friends too.