Imatge de l'autor

Sobre l'autor

Ron Rozelle teaches creative writing in the Brazosport School District.
Crèdit de la imatge: By Larry D. Moore, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22865430

Obres de Ron Rozelle

Etiquetat

Coneixement comú

Data de naixement
1952
Gènere
male
Nacionalitat
USA

Membres

Ressenyes

Ron Rozelle's "Exiled: The Last Days of Sam Houston" is a gem, and I hope the book is not as under-appreciated as its subject, the great Sam Houston.

Today, Sam Houston, is almost forgotten - even in Texas - and that is a crime. Think about it: Sam Houston led the army that significantly changed American history by defeating Mexico's General Santa Ana, thereby turning Texas into the Republic of Texas, he was twice president of that republic, twice a U.S. senator after Texas became part of the Union, and at the very end of his political career, he served as governor of the state he was so instrumental in creating. Also, he is the only person in United States history who served as the governor of two different states, having first served as the governor of Tennessee before coming to Texas.

I have been an admirer of Sam Houston since I was a child (a long, long time ago), and I'm surprised at how much I learned about the man and his family from "Exiled." It helps, I suppose, that I live in the General's old stomping grounds (in what is a north Houston suburb), and that I'm within 50 miles of Huntsville, the town in which Houston's family spent so many years while he was seeing to his senatorial duties in Washington. Huntsville is also where Houston died and is buried, and it is the home of a wonderful little museum that includes both the longtime family home and the home in which Houston died in 1863 (he died downstairs and his funeral was held in the room above the bedroom he died in). I haven't visited the museum in a few years, and this book has reminded me just how badly I need to do that again.

Sam Houston was an American hero. He loved the Union more than anything in life other than his family. But he was also a Texas patriot, and he loved the state dearly despite resigning the Texas governorship rather then swearing an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy. His last words show exactly what meant most to him and what was on his mind when death found him: "Texas...Texas...Margaret."
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SamSattler | Feb 26, 2019 |
Rozelle emphasized wordsmithing in the editing process. Although the book was for description and setting, the principles that he presented could apply for the entire book-writing craft.

Wordsmithing was a favorite word where he explained how to phrase each sentence to achieve the best impact and make the magic of reading shine. The tools, the lessons of observation, the re-reading until it says what you want the reader to feel---all make the editing process profitable and necessary. He did not hesitate to call it work--but he encouraged you in your endeavors by the cohesive unit and flow that you will achieve.
Much is not 'science' of do's and don'ts, but 'art' where it must sound and feel right. Another reason to learn to observe better.

I do wish that I knew how to organize all the notes that he suggests jotting down for later use.

A helpful resource.
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Sonya.Contreras | Hi ha 4 ressenyes més | May 21, 2017 |
People always tell writers to "show, not tell," but they don't usually tell you how to do that. This book was extremely helpful for me, because I "tell" all the time without realizing it. I wouldn't have been able to fix this problem without knowing the difference between the two. Rozelle is obviously not only a writer, but a good teacher as well, and his expertise shows in this book.
 
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AngelClaw | Hi ha 4 ressenyes més | Jan 29, 2016 |
Writing books are so dififcult to rate, because their value is in how they improve my writing or give me inspiration/insights into writing. If it tells me something I already know, then it's "not as good" as a book that told me something new. But to another reader, the "obvious" information may be something they've never known, and have great leaps in their writing progress as a result.

So, for me at least, this book covered a lot of things I knew, but a few different ways to approach descriptive writing. My favorite thing in the book was the passages from different novels. Rozelle has a terrific eye for picking beautiful passages. I read [b:Perfume: The Story of a Murderer|343|Perfume The Story of a Murderer|Patrick Süskind|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328815062s/343.jpg|2977727] because the passage from this book was amazing. Really, if you're not a writer but simply love books with great description, pick up this book and flip through to find the excerpts from other novels. You can create a "to read" list just from that.

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Malora | Hi ha 4 ressenyes més | Jan 18, 2016 |

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Estadístiques

Obres
11
Membres
380
Popularitat
#63,551
Valoració
3.9
Ressenyes
9
ISBN
18

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