The Writer's Life 4/26 - Around the Horn

Jonathan Podhoretz devotes his op-ed piece in today's NY Post to a book by Jonah Goldberg, whose newspaper work I always read. It's titled Suicide of the West: How the Rebirth of Tribalism, Populism, Nationalism, and Identity Politics is Destroying American Democracy. There is one particularly juicy nugget in the article: at one time 94% of the world's population was earning less than $2 per day; now it's only 9.6%, and yet many want to change the things that have made planet Earth a better place. Podhoretz dubs it the "book of the year." Obviously, he has hasn't read Present and Past - lol!

There was a great line in last night's episode of The Blacklist. Criminal mastermind Raymond Reddington, played by James Spader, is asked how he can be so confident in his plan to walk into an obvious trap. He responds: "Because God doesn't want me and the devil isn't finished." Three writers are credited at IMDb: series creator Jon Bokenkamp, Marisa Tam & Taylor Martin. Kudos.

In a move that surprises no one, basketball know-it-all dad Lavar Ball has withdrawn his sons,  LiAngelo & LaMelo, from a pro basketball league in Lithuania. Equally unsurprising, he did it after a dispute with the coach. There were only two games left in the season. The guy needs to start his own league, although I doubt even that would satisfy him.

On a positive note in the world of sports, here's a shout out to a guy who wouldn't quit despite overwhelming odds. After a six-year absence in which he underwent four operations on his left elbow, Jonny Venters returned to MLB last night. Now pitching for Tampa Bay, he retired the only batter he faced. Kudos, sir.

My thanks to the gentleman who purchased four books in Russian, and to the Frenchman, who bought the Wilkie Collins classic, Moonstone; and to singer extraordinaire Thirsty Dave, who donated five thrillers; and to Mike who donated three books; and to Cabbie who donated two paperbacks.

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