Publishers Weekly - 27.01.2020

110 BOOKLIFE, JANUARY 27, 2020

NONFICTION

Runes for Writers: Boost

Your Creativity and

Destroy Writer’s Block

Marc Graham | Erulian

148 pages, trade paper, $12.95, ISBN 978-1-

73275-511-6

Novelist Graham (Of Ashes and

Dust) empowers stuck writers with

this eclectic cross between a collec-

tion of story prompts and a New

Age self-help book. Invoking the

author as “a shaman, a wizard, a

mage,” Graham focuses on

breaking writer’s block and developing and fixing works of

fiction through divination with Elder Futhark runes, which

have their origins in second-century CE Scandinavia. Graham,

observing that intuition is central to both writing and divina-

tion, suggests that the latter can inspire the former. After

explaining the meanings of the symbols and how to apply

them to storytelling, he ably leads readers through several

rune-casting layouts (similar to tarot card spreads).

Graham counsels that this method is only for experienced

writers, but anyone with an open mind can experiment with it,

and Graham’s detailed layouts are well illustrated and easy to

follow. He provides layouts designed for character develop-

ment and story challenges, plot, theme, and escaping from

writer’s block, among others. Each rune is given an open-

ended interpretation (e.g., “Thurisaz reversed may also

suggest that your character is not respecting boundaries of

others”) that will easily get

creative juices flowing.

Graham also includes a short

story that shows the process

in action.

Graham maintains a

sincere, empathetic tone

throughout, treating the

reader as a fellow traveler on

the sometimes harrowing

road of the creative process

and encouraging a playful,

flexible approach to rune-

casting. At times he goes a bit

overboard with his love of all

things Norse (he’s unable to

mention the concept of karma

without calling it “an Indo-

European cousin to the Norse

mindset”) but his enthusiasm

is endearing. This quirky and

intriguing work will appeal to

open-minded writers willing

to look at their craft in a New

Age light.

TRUE CRIME

Embracing the Abyss

John Smith | Quaker Investment

Corporation

207 pages, trade paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-

9995170-1-7

Smith’s first-person account of

his involvement in the savings and

loan (S&L) scandal of the 1980s is a

fascinating look at the how and

why of the crisis. Smith started his

career at Dondi Group, a Texas

start-up real estate company run

by Don Dixon. The company

acquired Vernon Savings and Loan, and Smith worked his

way up to COO. Encouraged by deregulation and a corrupt

environment, Dixon used fraudulent loans to fund a lavish

lifestyle. Vernon was a house of cards, and when it started to

fall in 1986, Smith resigned. The Federal Savings and Loan

Insurance Corp. soon sued Smith and seven other Vernon

officers. Smith pleaded guilty to a felony charge, cooperated

with investigators, and was later pardoned by President

George W. Bush.

The book wavers between navel-gazing memoir and true-

crime account without successfully meshing the two. With

laconic prose, Smith paints a vivid picture of Texas in the

1980s, recalling, “Dixon remarked that the three of us had

mustaches, so I should fit in well.” He occasionally overin-

dulges in recounting his own problems, shortcomings, and

insecurities. “I was stricken with a total lack of vision about

what was going to happen,” he writes. His earnest claims of

having been only a bean

counter are supported when

an FBI agent tells him he

should never have been prose-

cuted and encourages him to

apply for a presidential

pardon.

The topic is enthralling and

Smith thoroughly explains the

S&L business. He uses appen-

dices as extended endnotes;

readers who wish the narra-

tive spent more time on the

details of Vernon’s malfea-

sance will be glad to find the

nitty-gritty in the back of the

book. The wealth of informa-

tion in this short work will be

fascinating and educational

for anyone interested in the

S&L crisis and the culture that

made it possible.

Fiction writers

looking to engage

their intuition will

enjoy exploring this

guide to story

development

through divination

with runes.

Production grades

Cover: B-

Design & typography: B-

Illustrations: –

Editing: B-

Marketing copy: B-

Production grades

Cover: B+

Design & typography: A

Illustrations: B+

Editing: A

Marketing copy: B

Readers looking for

a memorable white-

collar true crime

tale will relish this

enlightening mem-

oir of the 1980s

S&L scandal.

Great for fans of

Michael Lewis’s Liar’s

Poker, Richard

Stratton’s Smuggler’s

Blues.

Great for fans of

Julia Cameron’s The

Artist’s Way, Corrine

Kenner’s Astrology for

Writers.

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