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 since before it was cool. A collection of his short stories is forthcoming from Cornerstone Press.
41 entries by John P. Loonam
The Heart in Winter: A Novel
By Kevin Barry
A darkly ebullient tale from the master of comical tragedy.
What an astute author from the past might say about our murky present.
Once Upon a Prime
By Sarah Hart
A fascinating look at what stories and sums have in common.
The Vanishing of Carolyn Wells: Investigations into a Forgotten Mystery Author
By Rebecca Rego Barry
An animated, unpersuasive case for a writer’s resurrection.
Teaching Twain — and teaching students to speak for themselves.
Dixon, Descending: A Novel
By Karen Outen
It’s man vs. Everest in this evocative, implausible tale.
Soul Mates of the Lost Generation
By Lewis M. Dabney
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Lovers are thwarted by the conventions of their era.
The poet talks tragedy, Holocaust jokes, and the power of humor to help us endure.
Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry and American Literature
By Dan Sinykin
What does consolidation at the top mean for readers?
Brooklyn Crime Novel
By Jonathan Lethem
Neighborhood kids weather the grittier parts of gentrification.
Ravage & Son: A Novel
By Jerome Charyn
Early-1900s Manhattan comes alive in this teeming, overstuffed tale.
The Canadian talks bears, the magic of heights, and the freckles on his late father’s forearms.
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.
The playwright/performer talks punk rock, Toisanese Sicilians, and the importance of humor.
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
Lovers are thwarted by the conventions of their era.
The debut novelist talks ballet, the Holocaust, and leaving JFK on the cutting-room floor.
The writer/artist talks Tintin, the House of Fiction, and the endless appeal of cats.
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 poet talks language, being trans, and her longtime friendship with William Zinsser.
The Artful Dickens
By John Mullan
An entertaining, close examination of how the iconic 19th-century author plied his trade.
The debut novelist talks 9/11, Greenwich Village, and the pain of (fictionally) destroying landmarks.
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 novelist talks grief, autobiographical interludes, and the challenges faced by Asian American artists.
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.
The debut novelist talks low-wage jobs, naming characters, and the role of humor in a grim world.
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.