Posts by Charles Levin
All That Jazz on the Wall
I inherited the painting from my mother thirty-two years ago. It was one of many by an accomplished artist named James Carlin. But this one differed from the rest. I’ll get to that in a minute. My mother and James ‘Jimmy’ Carlin struck up a friendship in the 1950s. She was the first female stockbroker…
Read MoreChapter 21: “This Isn’t That”
[Author’s Note: Today, sample a chapter from my upcoming thriller STILL NOT GONE, the 5th book in the NOT SO DEAD Series wherein Evan meets Evan.] Frank tries to match the circadian rhythms of the real world in this virtual world we inhabit. So, when it’s dark back home where I used to live with…
Read MoreSame Time, Same Station
A familiar phrase popped into my head recently and it got me thinking… Do you remember hearing “Same Time, Same Station?” I heard it often as a kid when one of my favorite TV shows, like Superman or Carol Burnett or Andy Griffith signed off for the week. My parents heard the same phrase as…
Read MoreI’m Processing
Do you ever have trouble falling asleep because thoughts are whirling around in your head? Happens to me a lot. Maybe more so lately as my company, the Munn Avenue Press, is going through a growth spurt. And I’m thinking about tomorrow’s long to-do list. Ever happen to you? Now I wouldn’t say I’m an…
Read MoreBrain Games
[Note; today I’m pleased to share a guest post by Carol Bluestein, author of the Amazon #1 Bestselling SEDUCTION Series] Here’s Carol… Writing, for me, is a Brain Game. How to get from here to there, efficiently without leaving out the details, practically without over/under explaining, and safely so my reader is buckled in for…
Read MoreA Sports Fan’s Lament
[Note: Today I share a short essay by one of my favorite writers, Bob Katz. He agreed to let me share it here publicly for the first time. Bob got me thinking. He inspired me to share a personal story of my own in the Postscript. Enjoy!] My novel Third and Long is the story…
Read MoreIn the River
“As writers, it is in the art that we find ourselves.” So, I’m halfway through writing my sixth book STILL NOT GONE, the sequel to STILL NOT DEAD, but stuff keeps getting in the way. I accidentally (explanation here} started a publishing company last year, the Munn Avenue Press and it has taken off. I’ve…
Read MoreAn Author’s Journey to Elaine’s Circle
[Publisher’s Note: I’m pleased to share here with the permission of the author, Bob Katz, this charming, serendipitous, and true account of the story-behind-the-story that led to Elaine’s Circle: A Teacher, a Student, a Classroom, and One Unforgettable Year by Bob Katz–available on Amazon. I am also honored to have the publishing company I started–the…
Read MoreBooks Unread
A personal essay about all the books I haven’t read and some I have.. How many books have you started reading but never finished? That’s a question I asked myself recently now that I have many more unread books than ones I’ve finished. And I read a lot. I won’t even talk much here about…
Read More10 Life Lessons I learned from Playing Poker
I played poker as a teenager, but I took it up more seriously twenty years ago. The intrigue and intricacies of the game found me when I needed the comfort and distraction of a high-level intellectual challenge. It feels funny writing that last phrase, as most people think of poker as a game played in…
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