Short Story

Steve Martin Writes the Written Word

Background

Published in 2025, Steve Martin Writes the Written Word is a collection of Steve Martin’s written work, gathering pieces from across his career as a humorist and author. It includes selections from his contributions to The New Yorker, excerpts from his novella Shopgirl, and a variety of comedic essays, some written from unusual perspectives. The book presents Martin’s approach to language and storytelling in a form that emphasizes the written word as both subject and medium.

Steve Martin Writes the Written Word
Steve Martin Writes the Written Word

My Thoughts

I really don’t quite know what to say about this book. I found Mr. Martin’s writing to be good enough, but somehow discordant and, in part, surprisingly base and vulgar. He definitely makes use of an extensive vocabulary, frequent metaphors, and slang. It may be the slang that catches me off guard. It seemed to span decades in the same character. Essentially, it felt like an older man’s words in the mouths of twenty-something characters.

I enjoyed the written form of his stand up routines. Those pages seemed to fly by as I recalled him on stage with a banjo and the arrow-through-the-head. I didn’t care for Shopgirl at all. It seemed crude and heartless with an abrupt and implausible ending. However, that was the low point of this work.

Recommendation

I would pass on this one.

The Hope of Elantris

Background

Published in 2006, The Hope of Elantris by Brandon Sanderson is a short story that serves as a companion piece to his novel Elantris. The story is set during the climax of Elantris and provides additional perspectives on the events from the point of view of a minor character, Ashe, a seon, who plays a critical role in aiding the protagonists. The narrative expands on the magical and political intricacies of the world, offering a deeper understanding of key moments in the main novel.

The Hope of Elantris
The Hope of Elantris

My Thoughts

This was a quick short story and a welcome diversion as I am wading through the Ancient Greek philosophers and their thoughts. Luckily, it hasn’t been long since I read Elantris and I could easily recall the plot points and characters to quickly come up to speed in the story. Typically, I don’t include short stories into this blog but this one seemed good enough to include.

Sanderson is a master of bringing the reader into a story and making them care about the personalities in the book. This short story was no exception. Who wouldn’t care about what happened to the children in Enlantris after they were all healed?

Recommendation

A good read but it wouldn’t stand alone. You must read Elantris first or it won’t make any sense.

Napalm and Silly Putty

Background

Published in 2001, “Napalm and Silly Putty” is a collection of the sharp, witty, and often profound observations of George Carlin, one of America’s most iconic comedians. The book captures Carlin’s unique voice, offering a blend of humorous reflections, rants, and musings on the absurdities of life, language, and society. Carlin’s keen eye for the ridiculous and his fearless approach to taboo subjects make this book a provocative exploration of the human condition. Through a series of essays and thoughts, Carlin dissects everyday life with his trademark blend of cynicism and humor, providing readers with laughter and insight. This work is a testament to Carlin’s status as a critical thinker and comedian, offering a reflection on the world that is as thoughtful as it is entertaining.

Napalm and Silly Putty
Napalm and Silly Putty

My Thoughts

Growing up with George Carlin, this book reminded me of a ton of his musings and general jokes. While he can be pretty preachy at times, dirty at others, and still profound in others, he is hilarious!

Recommendation

Watch his stand up first. It is better with the visuals.

The Witch’s Vacuum Cleaner and Other Stories

Background

The Witch’s Vacuum Cleaner and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by Terry Pratchett, first published in 1987. The short stories are set in a variety of different worlds, and feature a wide range of characters, from witches to wizards to pirates.

The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner
The Witch’s Vacuum Cleaner

My Thoughts

I enjoyed some of these stories such as the Trolls hunting for their crown jewel but some just felt like they needed a lot more story. These read like Terry Pratchett’s lost idea book though he did capitalize on some of the stories for later books. In that sense, it felt like Tolkien’s “The Silmarillion”. There just wasn’t enough there really get grounded and enjoy the story.

Recommendations

Pratchett is a master story teller but the shorter stories didn’t give quite the punch that I’d come to expect from his work.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

Background

Published in October of 2007, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is a autobiographical look at Haruki Murakami and largely centered around his experience with the New York marathon and other races. He is primarily a writer but he has done a lot of running.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

My Thoughts

This was an interesting book to read. Any work from another culture has elements that can surprise you as you go along. Ironically, I listened to this book while running. He mentions doing triathlons as well and I was disgusted that swimmers would kick an old man as he was trying to compete in a race. Particularly in open water…

On the whole, it was an ok book. I don’t know that I grew too much from it.

Recommendation

I wouldn’t read it again.

Walk in my Combat Boots

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Background

Published in February of 2021, Walk in My Combat Boots is a collection of true stories from America’s warriors, told by the men and women who lived them. The stories are raw, honest, and unforgettable. They offer a glimpse into the lives of those who have served our country in the armed forces, and the sacrifices they have made.

The book is divided into three sections: “The Call to Duty,” “The Fight,” and “The Homecoming.” In “The Call to Duty,” the authors share their stories of why they joined the military. In “The Fight,” they recount their experiences in combat. And in “The Homecoming,” they discuss the challenges of re-integrating into civilian life.

Walk in my Combat Boots
Walk in my Combat Boots

My Thoughts

Most of the stories are lacking in any kind of theme or similarity so it was easy to get lost in the narrative. My hat is off to our service men and women but I didn’t really enjoy this book.

Recommendation

It was hard to get through. I’d skip this one.

Jim Morrison

Background

Jim Morrison was the lead singer of “The Doors” but he also considered himself a writer. This book is his collective works. Published in June of 2021, it is largely put together by his friends and children.

Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison

My Thoughts

When I started reading this book, I thought it was a autobiography. It really wasn’t. It was so much worse… It starts by telling you he considered himself a writer more than a musician. That may be true but if you can imagine the poetry of a drugged out 60’s post teenager, you have a good idea of what this book was like. But wait there’s more!

The folks that put out this book recycled some of the same material. I guess they figured the reader would have given up some time ago and wouldn’t notice. That would be a fair strategy except apparently I enjoy a good train wreck and just can’t look away.

Recommendation

Skip it. Seriously, it isn’t worth the time.

Bullseye

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Background

Published in 2014, this short story shows our hero Will Robie getting caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Bullseye
Bullseye

My Thoughts

The Rambo-esk moments continue but this time the plot gives a nod to the generation before Robie and Reel. It was a fun quick read.

Recommendation

Quick but fun

The Secret Lives of Wives

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Background

This book on how to stay married by Iris Krasnow was written to counter the focus on divorce. It is a collection of stories of women who have stood by their man and made the best of what they had.

The Secret Lives of Wives
The Secret Lives of Wives

My Thoughts

This really isn’t my normal fare but I was interested in the idea of what makes people stay together. There just isn’t much focus on the majority of people who slog it out year by year and keep their marriage together. Like many, I assume, I thought my first marriage was going to last. It didn’t. There were lines I wasn’t willing to be crossed… This book has stories of women who had all manner of nonsense happen in their marriage and yet they stuck with it.

There is a lot of research on how we become happier with age. How having social connections positively correlates with health and longevity. How a married person is more likely to have long term financial success than their single counterparts. In short, it’s good to get married and stay married.

Getting married and staying married is a daily choice. Sometimes the choice to stay together is easier than at other times. Marriage is constant communication, compromise, forgiveness, and service. I’m convinced there is no one way to do it and it was interesting to hear how others went about it.

Recommendation

An interesting read. I would recommend it to anyone who is married and wouldn’t mind a look what keeps other marriages going.

Uncommon Type: Some Stories

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Background

Uncommon Type is a collection of seventeen short stories written by actor Tom Hanks and published in 2017. Each story revolves around the theme of typewriters, but they cover a wide range of topics such as love, fame, relationships, and death.

Uncommon Type
Uncommon Type

My Comments

I really enjoyed the book. The stories good down as an easy read and I found I didn’t get bored but would prefer to plow on. Each story is loosely connected by Mr. Hanks’ signature Americana feel. His clean cut, boy next door persona was contrasted by the strong language. For some reason, I wasn’t expecting that.

Also, throughout the stories, in a supporting role, was a typewriter. There was enough romancing of typewriters in this book, it almost made me want to go out and buy one. I did learn how to type on them but I was more than happy to give up the clack for the soft glow of a computer screen.

Recommendations

I believe if you like Tom Hanks, you will like the book. I love Tom Hanks and so I loved the book.