The Writer's Life 12/14 - Challenged

I didn't want to read yet another mystery/thriller, and there are no literary novels among the book donations that have lately come my way, so I've chosen a work of non-fiction by a Ph.D in psychiatry. I haven't been tested as severely as this intellectually in a long time. I'm not sure I'll be able to get through it, so I won't mention the title and author. I'll blog about it should I manage to complete it. It's certainly geared more to professionals in the field or students of it. 46 pages in, I haven't got much out of it. It has tried my vocabulary, though. I've recognize most of the clinical words, but forgotten their meanings. Here are three examples, the last having been completely foreign to me but which I love. I'm surprised I'd never come across it before. Then again, at this stage of my life it's entirely possible that I'd simply forgotten it.
"Homeostasis" -- the property of a system in which variables are regulated so that internal conditions remain stable and relatively constant. An example of it is the regulation of temperature.
"Etiology" -- the cause, set of causes, or manner of causation of a disease or condition. It might be used like this: "a disease of unknown etiology."
"Scotomization" --  the theory in psychoanalysis which refers to the mind's ability to erase a traumatic or overwhelming experience.

RIP Phil Pepe, 80, who had a 50-year career in sports journalism. Born in Brooklyn, he was the author or co-author of more than 50 books. There are eleven listed under his name at Amazon. He had a long tenure at the NY Daily News, and always used a civil tone in his work. The epitome of class and decency, he didn't take cheap shots. Well done, sir.


Here's something straight out of Hitchcock. Yahoo News reports that the severed, embalmed head of an unknown female, found NW of Pittsburgh, may be linked to the black market in body parts, Red balls had been placed in the eye sockets. Here's an artist's rendering of the unfortunate soul:


I assumed the floating book shop would be rained out today. What a pleasant surprise that it was business as usual. My thanks to the kind folks who bought books.

Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f