Reviews
01
What they say
Connecting readers
Earth and Stars: Poems 2007-2012
by Richard H. Peake
“Again I greet you, winter morning sunannouncing rituals of another day”
Milton’s poetry, Kirk and Spock, a Southern retelling of Greek mythologies, and even Tasmanian aborigines receive paramount attention and come to life for modern readers in this collection. Moral discussions regarding war and individual rights also arise in poems that question war as well as what it asks of the young men and women who serve America. Eventually, the collection celebrates the bucolic and the quaint, uplifting “the goshawk in its hurtle” and fondly remembering old-timers who “seemed to forecast only stormy weather.” As it concludes, the collection becomes a stern warning to humanity about its irresponsible actions towards nature as the narrator declares, “I’m sick at heart at watching waste / foul fertile streams and pristine woods.”
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While life continues its scuffles, hustles, and bustles, in these poignant poems conversations happen, opinions are shared, history is reexamined, and nature becomes the only center strong enough to maintain its hold. Readers engage with American history and recaps of events like 9/11. With its discussions of veterans’ affairs and seemingly unending wars, this collection invites readers into one narrator’s thoughts and asks them to participate in long-standing moral debates. These poems ask readers to assess their personal beliefs, especially as these themes combine with environmental reverence and protection. This combination reinforces the idea of interconnectedness, reminding readers that their decisions are not their own. Those interested in poetry with a conscience will gravitate towards this collection, and those who are intrigued by environmentalism, history, politics, and pop culture will enjoy the book’s unique insights and retellings.
While life continues its scuffles, hustles, and bustles, in these poignant poems conversations happen, opinions are shared, history is reexamined, and nature becomes the only center strong enough to maintain its hold. Readers engage with American history and recaps of events like 9/11. With its discussions of veterans’ affairs and seemingly unending wars, this collection invites readers into one narrator’s thoughts and asks them to participate in long-standing moral debates. These poems ask readers to assess their personal beliefs, especially as these themes combine with environmental reverence and protection. This combination reinforces the idea of interconnectedness, reminding readers that their decisions are not their own. Those interested in poetry with a conscience will gravitate towards this collection, and those who are intrigued by environmentalism, history, politics, and pop culture will enjoy the book’s unique insights and retellings.
book review by Nicole Yurcaba
Rare Bird Alert
by Richard H. Peake
“The soft strains of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major complemented Georgina’s voice with what Bob thought was a sexy background.”
With a curious cast of characters, a travelogue of colorful locales, and a query into why unusual characters do what they do in picturesque places, this book is about human reactions to various non-human and decidedly inhuman things. The nonhuman things include birds and natural settings, while the inhuman things include rape and murder. From Australia to Galveston to a South Pacific island, from lonely people to nosy people to bad people, from sparrows to orioles to kookaburras, this book is a unique expedition into bird-watching and crime, told in a literary style that often appears casual, here and there caustic, perhaps even semi-satirical. The result is a twenty-four chapter excursion into fiction that is sometimes too strange to be believed but also too observant not to have some truth behind it.
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While the narrative flow is a bit unusual, the book makes up for it in a tale as unique as they come. The storytelling leaves the impression that this singular effort was written in something akin to a literary monotone. The characters are not exceedingly easy to care about, but the promise is there, beginning with the work’s intriguing title. This puts the reader in a curious mood, making one instantly wonder if this work will duplicate the tone of a whimsical movie like The Big Year, the 2011 film about bird enthusiasts who try to outdo each other, or if it will be closer to Steve Martin’s own Rare Bird Alert, in which the comedian plays the banjo and provides lyrics and music lessons. Peake’s novel is unlike either one. Instead, it is distinctive in its own right, a distinction that comes from its unusual and sprawling storyline.
While the narrative flow is a bit unusual, the book makes up for it in a tale as unique as they come. The storytelling leaves the impression that this singular effort was written in something akin to a literary monotone. The characters are not exceedingly easy to care about, but the promise is there, beginning with the work’s intriguing title. This puts the reader in a curious mood, making one instantly wonder if this work will duplicate the tone of a whimsical movie like The Big Year, the 2011 film about bird enthusiasts who try to outdo each other, or if it will be closer to Steve Martin’s own Rare Bird Alert, in which the comedian plays the banjo and provides lyrics and music lessons. Peake’s novel is unlike either one. Instead, it is distinctive in its own right, a distinction that comes from its unusual and sprawling storyline.
book review by Joel Samberg US REVIEW OF BOOKS
Love and Death on Safari
by Richard H. Peake
“Like Wordsworth, I feel my heart leaping up when I encounter the beauty of a cloud,a forest, or a new bird.”
Since divorcing his wife, Jack has found comfort and purpose in the world of serious birdwatching. On a birding tour during an African safari, this novel brings together about a half-dozen characters, all with over-the-top and often conflicting personalities. They join two highly experienced bird-tour guides as they explore the African continent in an amazing opportunity to learn about the abundance of avian life,
including many rare and endangered species.
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There is one tiny problem toward the end of their trip, which puts a slight damper on things. Jimmy Russo, who rubbed just about everybody the wrong way with his rough attitude, crude remarks, and tendency towards fistfights, apparently has fallen off a cliff and is dead. The evidence suggests the probability of murder, not simply an accident. Anyone in the small tour group could be suspect. In addition to the unexpected death, love is born on the expedition, as Iris Fogelman and Jack strike up a passionate romance, eventually making plans to marry once back in the States. The only problem is that Jane (Russo’s wife), who Jack had romanced on a previous birding tour in Argentina, is continuously making aggressive advances toward him, despite his resistance and stated interest in Iris.
Peake has written an enjoyable novel that excels at character development in this adventure on the dark continent. To be sure, readers who are into birding (or to a lesser degree, wildlife in general especially the species-rich variety found throughout Africa) will absolutely enjoy this book. An enormous diversity of birdlife, often painted in exquisite detail, constitutes a large portion of the substance of this tale. The often over-the-top behavior of the humans, both humorous and at times unsettling, is simply icing on the cake.
There is one tiny problem toward the end of their trip, which puts a slight damper on things. Jimmy Russo, who rubbed just about everybody the wrong way with his rough attitude, crude remarks, and tendency towards fistfights, apparently has fallen off a cliff and is dead. The evidence suggests the probability of murder, not simply an accident. Anyone in the small tour group could be suspect. In addition to the unexpected death, love is born on the expedition, as Iris Fogelman and Jack strike up a passionate romance, eventually making plans to marry once back in the States. The only problem is that Jane (Russo’s wife), who Jack had romanced on a previous birding tour in Argentina, is continuously making aggressive advances toward him, despite his resistance and stated interest in Iris.
Peake has written an enjoyable novel that excels at character development in this adventure on the dark continent. To be sure, readers who are into birding (or to a lesser degree, wildlife in general especially the species-rich variety found throughout Africa) will absolutely enjoy this book. An enormous diversity of birdlife, often painted in exquisite detail, constitutes a large portion of the substance of this tale. The often over-the-top behavior of the humans, both humorous and at times unsettling, is simply icing on the cake.
book review by Jonah Meyer
Beauty’s No Biscuit
by Richard H. Peake
“The maples are at their peak up here now. It’s hard to beat the southern Appalachians for fall beauty.”
The book’s title is a play on an anti-environmental ad of 1970 appearing in Eastern Kentucky papers. The novel itself is centered on the plight of George Landsetter, an agent for the Reclamation Bureau and owner of 500 acres of pristine forest. Finding himself constantly harassed by the miner and all-around villain Dave Blackmun to sell the mining rights to his land, he increasingly faces danger from Blackmun, who is suspected of murdering others who have crossed his path. Landsetter, intent on stopping Blackmun, works with the FBI in their quest to stop the illegal activities of cockfighting, dogfighting, and prostitution, which are controlled by Blackmun and his partner, Dab Whacker. Will the FBI manage to build a case against these criminals before it’s too late for the protagonist?
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This novel is reminiscent of the writings of Elmore Leonard, whose Fire in the Hole is the basis for the drama series Justified. Dealing with such graphically violent criminal activities as cockfighting and dog baiting, the book is, at times, a hard work to read. Peake uses these episodes to explain the mindset of the people who participate in such events and how they are embedded in the culture. The juxtaposition of the beauty of the Appalachians and the horror of such activities is both interesting and unsettling. Peake’s grasp of his subject and the nuanced language and customs of his characters is spot-on. His descriptions of the beauty of the Appalachians with their plethora of wildlife contrast well with those of the baiting of animals. At its core, however, this is a crime novel dealing with the unsavory characters that frequent such spectacles. Readers who are fans of the genre will find much to like about this offering.
This novel is reminiscent of the writings of Elmore Leonard, whose Fire in the Hole is the basis for the drama series Justified. Dealing with such graphically violent criminal activities as cockfighting and dog baiting, the book is, at times, a hard work to read. Peake uses these episodes to explain the mindset of the people who participate in such events and how they are embedded in the culture. The juxtaposition of the beauty of the Appalachians and the horror of such activities is both interesting and unsettling. Peake’s grasp of his subject and the nuanced language and customs of his characters is spot-on. His descriptions of the beauty of the Appalachians with their plethora of wildlife contrast well with those of the baiting of animals. At its core, however, this is a crime novel dealing with the unsavory characters that frequent such spectacles. Readers who are fans of the genre will find much to like about this offering.
book review by Kat Kennedy
Moon’s Black Gold
by Richard H. Peake
“Everett Lunamin had never been one to savor. He had in fact been a gulper of the first rank.”
“Black Gold” is coal, the cash crop of southwestern Virginia, and Moon’s gold comes from the controversial practice of strip mining, where land is razed for the rich vein of ebony beneath the earth’s epidermis. Moon (Everett Adamo Lunamin), fresh from Viet Nam and tired of being “dirt poor,” returns to his corner of Virginia, determined to be a rich man. He quickly grabs a piece of the lucrative coal industry to fund a lifestyle he believes will fulfill him. Money does capture respect, security, and the high-school sweetheart of his dreams. But Moon’s mountain man spirit is tied to nature, the very flora and fauna strip mining displaces. As financial gains (and a woman) free his mind and soul to concentrate on learning, thinking, and self-examination, Moon’s story morphs into an homage to the mountain way of life with all its kith and kin, including Mother Nature raped by strip mining.
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Along the way, union strikes, environmental and political tensions, rivalries for coal and women, and even murder keep the stakes high and the storyline packed to bursting. Detailed physical descriptions, the Appalachian dialect, and immersion in the post Viet Nam period in southwestern Virginia keep the story rolling like the mountains in which it is set. “Tan snakes sinuously arranged from top to bottom” choke the mountain ridges. Mountain men, who say “by gonnies” and “hit” instead of “it,” explain the origin of “Melungeons” and call each other “honey.” Marijuana rivals coal for cash, moonshine is plentiful, and sometimes “legal” is a state of mind. Subtly using the metaphors of mining and nature in an Anthropocene era, Peake uncovers the deep vein of richness within Moon, an Appalachian to his core. The art and culture of strip mining fascinate as much as Moon’s journey to a greater self brings joy.
Along the way, union strikes, environmental and political tensions, rivalries for coal and women, and even murder keep the stakes high and the storyline packed to bursting. Detailed physical descriptions, the Appalachian dialect, and immersion in the post Viet Nam period in southwestern Virginia keep the story rolling like the mountains in which it is set. “Tan snakes sinuously arranged from top to bottom” choke the mountain ridges. Mountain men, who say “by gonnies” and “hit” instead of “it,” explain the origin of “Melungeons” and call each other “honey.” Marijuana rivals coal for cash, moonshine is plentiful, and sometimes “legal” is a state of mind. Subtly using the metaphors of mining and nature in an Anthropocene era, Peake uncovers the deep vein of richness within Moon, an Appalachian to his core. The art and culture of strip mining fascinate as much as Moon’s journey to a greater self brings joy.
book review by Priscilla Estes
Jaykyll's Joust
by Richard H. Peake
“He managed to conceal from everyone who interviewed him that he was a mountain boy who had, in the mountain phraseology, got above his raising.”
This fast-paced novel replete with danger and sex is set on the campus of the fictional Pine Mountain College. One of the smaller universities in Kentucky, PMC has earned a reputation for providing courses in rustic sciences and cultures. The trigger point for the story is the hiring of a new school president. Jason Malmuth arrives with plans to change the college into his vision of a sophisticated, polished educational establishment.
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To accomplish his task, several professors have to go, even if evil ways must be employed. For example, John Jaykyll is highly respected but is suspected of visiting a head doctor about confrontational fears. Roger Duvant should be the easiest to remove since he is not tenured. And, of course, there are geologist Daniel Crockett and field ecologist Nathaniel Boone who share technical information about the mountains and vicinity. Nothing happens as planned when the first semester unfolds. Neither mountainside pushes nor faulty brake lines can quite spoil the day. Even Belle’s bottom is not as dangerous as it seems. Large donations from college supporters arrive in the nick of time. The long-anticipated ending provides both unexpected outcomes and surprising helpers.
Peake has created a strong antagonist with evil cohorts to joust against the likable protagonists. Most of the characters in this book have a real heart and love for their way of life. Will President Malmuth ever learn to appreciate the natural beauty of his campus and community? Can ‘Jack’ Jaykyll gather the courage to slay his giant? The author’s novel is entertaining while informative regarding the Appalachian culture of mountainous Kentucky. Mystery and danger, along with vivid sexual encounters, quickly attract and hold the reader’s attention. Humor also shows up in the names of characters and places.
To accomplish his task, several professors have to go, even if evil ways must be employed. For example, John Jaykyll is highly respected but is suspected of visiting a head doctor about confrontational fears. Roger Duvant should be the easiest to remove since he is not tenured. And, of course, there are geologist Daniel Crockett and field ecologist Nathaniel Boone who share technical information about the mountains and vicinity. Nothing happens as planned when the first semester unfolds. Neither mountainside pushes nor faulty brake lines can quite spoil the day. Even Belle’s bottom is not as dangerous as it seems. Large donations from college supporters arrive in the nick of time. The long-anticipated ending provides both unexpected outcomes and surprising helpers.
Peake has created a strong antagonist with evil cohorts to joust against the likable protagonists. Most of the characters in this book have a real heart and love for their way of life. Will President Malmuth ever learn to appreciate the natural beauty of his campus and community? Can ‘Jack’ Jaykyll gather the courage to slay his giant? The author’s novel is entertaining while informative regarding the Appalachian culture of mountainous Kentucky. Mystery and danger, along with vivid sexual encounters, quickly attract and hold the reader’s attention. Humor also shows up in the names of characters and places.