John P. Loonam

John P. Loonam has a Ph.D. in American literature from the City University of New York and taught English in New York City public schools for over 35 years. He has published fiction in various journals and anthologies, and his short plays have been featured by the Mottola Theater Project several times. He is married and the father of two sons; the four have lived in Brooklyn long enough to be considered natives by anyone but his neighbors.
31 entries by John P. Loonam
Ravage & Son: A Novel
By Jerome Charyn

Early-1900s Manhattan comes alive in this teeming, overstuffed tale.
Close to Home: A Novel
By Michael Magee

Young adults in a broken West Belfast try to move past the Troubles.

A fascinating look at what stories and sums have in common.
All of Us Together in the End
By Matthew Vollmer
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A witty, poignant memoir about the importance of family.
In Memoriam: A Novel
By Alice Winn

Young men grapple with carnage — and forbidden love — in the trenches of WWI.
Chilean Poet
By Alejandro Zambra; translated by Megan McDowell

A spirited, witty story of family, love, and the lyrical life.
How to Live. What to Do.
By Josh Cohen

The great books have long been lighting the way.
Soul Mates of the Lost Generation: The Letters of John Dos Passos and Crystal Ross
By Lewis M. Dabney
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Lovers are thwarted by the conventions of their era.
The Martins: A Novel
By David Foenkinos; translated by Sam Taylor

This witty work of autofiction proves you don’t always need a plot.
Before Central Park
By Sara Cedar Miller
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Unpacking the origins of Manhattan’s seminal space.
The Artful Dickens
By John Mullan

An entertaining, close examination of how the iconic 19th-century author plied his trade.
Sentence: Ten Years and a Thousand Books in Prison
By Daniel Genis

What can reading behind bars teach you?
Chilean Poet: A Novel
By Alejandro Zambra; translated by Megan McDowell

A spirited, witty story of family, love, and the lyrical life.

The great books have long been lighting the way.
The Illimitable Freedom of the Human Mind: Thomas Jefferson’s Idea of a University
By Andrew J. O’Shaughnessy

A compelling account of what the Founding Father felt learning should look like.

Can a nation’s character be defined by what’s on its shelves?

An entertaining, close examination of how the iconic 19th-century author plied his trade.
Economy Hall: The Hidden History of a Free Black Brotherhood
By Fatima Shaik

How an antebellum Creole aid society helped shape New Orleans.

Might the true impact of canonical writing come from its effects on the human brain?
Writing the Virus: New Work from StatORec Magazine
Edited by Andrea Scrima and David Dario Winner
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Though chronicling a pandemic, this anthology’s overarching message is one of hope.
Ahab’s Rolling Sea
By Richard J. King

A fascinating, timely exploration of Melville's (and our) watery world.
Charter School City: What the End of Traditional Public Schools in New Orleans Means for American Education
By Douglas N. Harris

An in-depth, apolitical look at a new way of doing education.
Ahab’s Rolling Sea: A Natural History of Moby-Dick
By Richard J. King

A fascinating, timely exploration of Melville's (and our) watery world.