Greg

Born in Los Angeles, Greg grew up in Washington State, Spokane, Walla Walla, Bellingham, and Seattle. He also has lived in New York City and Vancouver, B.C. His two passions in life are theatre and books (obviously). Greg is one of the founding members of Outsider's Inn Collective, an itinerant theatre company dedicated to producing new and contemporary plays. Among his favorite playwrights are Mac Wellman, Tom Stoppard, and Shake-spear (a.k.a. the 17th Earl of Oxford). His favorite novelist is Robertson Davies. Historical personage he'd most like to have been: Giacomo Casanova. Greg is six feet six inches tall. "A loud laugh functions like a doctor for the body." —Immanuel Kant

What I Was
by Meg Rosoff
Rosoff's novel of obsessive first love and friendship captured me from page one. Her prose is distinctive, beautifully distilled and the voice of the adolescent boy H is perfect.

Farthing
Ha'penny
by Jo Walton
Jo Walton has written two of her "still life with fascists" series books, Farthing and Ha'penny. The books read like classic golden age British mysteries such as Dorothy Sayers or Josephine Tey, the difference is they present an "alternative history," which puts them in the category of speculative fiction. It is 1949 Britain where the British have been living under a treaty they signed with Hitler, for peace with honour. Farthing tells the story of the Farthing set, a group of Tories set on seizing power. What starts out as a case of murder, quickly turns into a larger conspiracy in which Jews, Communists and Anarchist become the universal scapegoat as the government slides into fascism. Ha'penny picks up the story with an assassination plot on the Prime Minister and Hitler. These are subtly crafted books that are all too real and echo the scare tactic rhetoric that is all too familiar. Both books had me on the edge of my seat and ask serious moral questions, which make them doubly rewarding. I look forward to the next book, Half a Crown.

The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot
by Naomi Wolf
Naomi Wolf is a modern day Paul Revere, instead of redcoats, she provides considerable evidence that Americans are threatened from within by fascism. We are a nation of ahistorical Rip Van Winkles who wake from sleeping for years and find ourselves on a precipice, and in grave danger of falling into an abyss. My greatest fear is not phantom terrorism, rather a citizenry who may be quite happy to sacrifice their liberty, for the simple pleasure of open access to goods and services, and the illusion of freedom. As Wolf says, we must stop insisting that it can't happen here and wipe the smug satisfaction off our collective face—it is. Regime change will not insure our liberty and the preservation of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Wolf makes a forceful argument for Americans (USers) to model themselves on the Founders and reclaim our birth-Rights as Americans—this requires engagement and dilligence—otherwise I guess we get what we deserve.

Forgetfulness
by Ward Just
Expatriate American painter Thomas Railles' wife Florette goes for a walk one day in the Pyranees and is killed. The death opens up Railles shadowy past with the CIA. I am a latecomer to reading Ward Just who can easily be considered one of the finest American novelist writing today. He is a formitable writer who can be compared with Graham Greene.

Death of a Murderer
by Rupert Thomson
Police Constable Billy Tyler sits vigil in a hospital morgue watching over the body of an infamous child-killer. Thomson's tale is a long dark night of the soul which he renders masterfully. If you are unfamiliar with the writing of Rupert Thomson, do yourself a favor—read this book.

The Cottagers
by Marshall N. Klimasewiski
Nineteen-year-old Cyrus Coddington, a resident of East Sooke, on British Columbia's Vancouver Island, gets his kicks spying on visitors, vacationing "cottagers." Two American couples, friends, who are vacationing together become particularly fascinating to Cyrus, so he insinuates himself into their lives. When a man disappears, leaving only a few clues, all become suspects. Friendships become strained. The rocky coastline and dense forests of Vancouver Island both disguise and reveal the disturbing nature of the people who inhabit and visit East Sooke. Klimasewiski has written a suspenseful, psychologically acute, and absorbing story.

The Wrong Kind of Blood
by Declan Hughes
Edward Loy returns to Dublin from Los Angeles for his mother's funeral after a long absence. In his grief, Loy is drawn into a troubled past, which puts him in the company of gangsters and drug addicts and the unscrupulous rich. In doing so, he literally and figuratively uncovers long buried secrets, bodies, and the machinations of blood ties. Hughes' noir novel is a thrilling and moving debut.

By the Lake
by John McGahern
McGahern's portrait of rural Irish life is utterly masterful in its natural detail, character, mood, and pace. To get the full effect you must slow down and relish the time you spend in the company folks in this book. Once in a blue moon I have found a novel as rewarding as By the Lake. O' rare John McGahern!

The Various Haunts of Men
by Susan Hill
A number of people mysteriously disappear without a trace on what locals call "the hill" in Lafferton, a small cathedral town. Policewoman Freya Graffham, who has recently left the metropolitan police for the country, is assigned the case. What appears to start as a missing-persons case begins to take on more urgency with each disappearance. Susan Hill has written an acute, psychological story of a serial murderer, telling the story alternately from the perspective of the killer, the victims, and the police. This is top-of-the-line crime fiction.

How To Be Idle: A Loafer's Manifesto
by Tom Hodgkinson
Hodgkinson has written the perfect book for both the obsessive overachiever and the consummate lazy bastard. It introduces joy back into your life and will serve as an inspiration to idlers and would-be idlers everywhere. Take a break from all the senseless hyper-activity.

White Bicycles: Making Music in the 1960's
by Joe Boyd
Legendary music producer, Joe Boyd has written an exuberant account of his early days producing such groups and individuals as, Pink Floyd, Nick Drake, Incredible String Band and Fairport Convention among others. Boyd captures the idealism, passion, and the glorious dionysian atmosphere of the period. I can't think of a better book I have read about the 60's music scene.

John Osborne: The Many Lives of the Angry Young Man
by John Heilpern
John Osborne was a cruel and unsympathetic man in many ways, but a fine and I think under-appreciated playwright, who changed the face of English drama, and in fact world drama. John Heilpern has written an outstanding biography of this troubled man. He may have been a shit—but he is and should be regarded as one of the great British dramatists of the 20th Century for his plays: Look Back in Anger, Luther, Inadmissible Evidence, The Entertainer, and Watch It Come Down. Osborne amply demonstrates that "anger" can forge great art with a vitality that lasts.

This Is All
by Aidan Chambers
Nineteen and pregnant, Cordelia Kenns decided to leave this record of herself for her unborn child. It is a portrait of her young self in the form of a pillow book. A pillow book records "impressions, daily events, poems, letters, stories, ideas, descriptions of people, etc."; it is a cornucopian view of Cordelia's world. This ambitious and beautifully written book does indeed have it all. Sophistocated teens and adults will love this large and open-hearted book.

Athiest Manifesto: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam
by Michel Onfray
Without a doubt, the single finest book on "atheology." Onfray passionately advocates for "the enlighenment's values against magical thinking," and for the advent of the post-Christian (secular) age.

The Buddha in Your Rearview Mirror
by Woody Hochswender
"To think of Buddhism as a placid teaching expounded in a bucolic setting under the shade of a tree is a totally false image. Buddhism is intensely practical, not escapist. It lives in human society and has been handed down among the people—this is the true flow of buddhism." - Daisaku Ikeda Hochswender's book is an accessible, practical and pragmatic introduction to the practice of Buddhism.

Righteous: Dispatches from the Evangelical Youth Movement
by Lauren Sandler
Forget horror movies—this book makes my hair stand on end. I don't know about you, but I don't want to live in this country with these zombies. Secularists need to wake-up and resist the "disciple generation". Guaranteed to scare the bejeezus out of you! Unless of course you are already a zombie.

The God Delusion
by Richard Dawkins
Belief in "God" is a fantasy. It is well past time for agnostics and atheists to stand up and be counted. The sky god religions make no more sense than the polytheistic traditions which preceded them. Dawkins has written an eloquent and thought provoking book, which every thinking person should read.

America's Report Card
by John McNally
This is a brilliant political satire which you won't want to put down. I won't soon forget Jainey and Charley and the stellar supporting cast of characters. McNally's novel not only is funny, but has heart.

Shakespeare by Another Name
by Mark Anderson
My first introduction to the Earl of Oxford was about twelve years ago. Mark Anderson has written an exceptional biography. It settles the authorship question for me; DeVere is the bard. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Shakespeare!

The War of Art
by Steven Pressfield
All people are creative—no matter your vocation. Wrestle those demons that hold you back. Read this, get excited again and redetermine to walk the path of the creative warrior.

Steal This Vote
by Andrew Gumbel
No matter your political inclination, Gumbel's history of the U.S. electoral system amply demonstrates how corrupted out political elections are. We have a long illustrious history of dirty elections—2000 and 2004 are only the most recent examples.

Untied States of America
by Juan Enriquez
No you are not dyslexic! This is a fascinating, provocative, and incredibly insightful book. The graphic style is perfect for the presentation of the material. I highly recommend this book.

The Laughing Jesus
by Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy
"The time has come to announce that the emperor is wearing no clothes. Literalist religion deserves to be ridiculed, not respected. It is irrational, immoral, and outmoded. And hysterically funny." (p. 108)
Freke & Gandy deserve a wide audience rather than the charlatans who peddle orthodox literalis nonsense.

Where There's A Will
by John Mortimer
The creator of Rumpole has written an utterly delightful and hilarious book. What is not to like about a man who starts his day with a glass of champagne? You must read this!

The Pornographer's Poem
by Michael Turner
Turner's novel is one of the most surprising, unpredictable, provocative, and remarkable novels I've read in the past few years.

The Pagan Christ
by Tom Harpur
A thrilling advocacy of re-mythologizing Christianity. Harpur re-examines and debunks the literalist and historical tradition, irrefutably advocating the far more profound spiritual and allegorical practice which had its origins in Egypt.

Siegfried
by Harry Mulisch
Mulisch's story of writer Rudolf Herter stumbling on the long held secret of Hitler and Eva Braun's love child is phenomenal and masterful.

The Surrender
by Toni Bentley
Bentley captures the zeitgeist of our times...public revelations of the most personal kind, divorced from shame and propriety.
Lends new meaning to "Taking the A Train"!

Different Dances
by Shel Silverstein
This is Shel Silverstein at his absolute best. The work in this book is incomparable and it cuts to the quick. I first encountered this book in 1979 and I am so happy that it is back in print.

In a Dark Wood
by Amanda Craig
Benedick Hunter is in Dante's dark wood. He is recently divorced and unemployed. These convergent events send him on a journey to discover why his mother killed herself when he was a small boy. Craig has written an incredible story of manic depression.

The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy and the End of the Republic
by Chalmers Johnson
One word can describe this book, somber. It could have been called "The Decline and (Inevitable) Fall of the American Empire." I hope to live to see that day. Hope lies in new beginnings. I highly recommend this book.

The Trouble with Islam: A Muslim's Call for Reform in Her Faith
by Irshad Manji
In a passionate, conversational style, Irshad Manji throws down a challenge to the monolithic and petrified Islamic status quo--outstanding.

On Equilibrium: 6 Qualities of the New Humanism
by John Ralston Saul
--Common Sense
--Ethics
--Imagination
--Intuition
--Memory
--Reason
Saul for me is one of the formidable thinkers of the 21st century. This is a book to be read and reread.

Wake Up...You're Liberal!
by Ted Rall
It is time for Liberals/Progressives to stop being candy assed wussies. Rall advocates going out and beating the Bushist neo-con artist Republitards at their own game. Stop being so nice! Hear! Hear!

The Book Against God
by James Woods
Thomas Bunting is an incorrigible liar. He has been working on his Ph.D for what seems like an eternity--actually seven years. He doesn't seem to be able to finish it. His wife has left him. His lying ways sent her packing. Somewhere along the line, Thomas got distracted and preoccupied with writing what he calls his BAG, Book Against God. It is his passion -charged harange against God.
Even though Thomas has a way of making a mess of his life, most of the time it is of his own volition. The reader is saying, "Don't do it" and at the same time enjoying his miseries. This is a novel that got better and better as I read it.

God
by Alexander Waugh
Waugh's book is marvelous. It is difficult, if not impossible, to put any credence in theism after reading the wonderfully sardonic critique of monotheism. The only possible exception is that humans need illusions. Perhaps someday the monotheistic traditions will take their proper place among the great myths of the world.

How to Be a Canadian
by Will Ferguson and Ian Ferguson
Tom Green aside, this book is further evidence that Canadians are perhaps the funniest people on earth. It's laugh out loud funny.

Fluke or I Know Why The Winged Whale Sings
by Christopher Moore
Moore's book is a very funny combination of realistic and speculative fantasy, which makes a perfect summer read.

Lichtenberg and the Little Glower Girl
by Gert Hofmann
This tale of the mathematician, physicist and astronomer Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742-1799) is a thoroughly delightful and engrossing story of Lichtenberg's love for a young flower girl, Maria Stechard. You'll be amazed by Hofmann's deft and light (yet substantial) touch with his subject.

Jarhead
by Anthony Swofford
Do yourself a favor and read this brilliant and searing account of the first Gulf War. Swofford's writing is brutally honest and beautiful at the same time.

Party of One: The Loner's Manifesto
by Anneli Rufus
With panache and wit, Rufus, repudiates the social stigmatization associated with being a "loner." The book is full of insights and sly asides, and comforted me in its confirmation of intuitions I've had over the years.

The Company
by Robert Littell
Full of intrigue, paranoia and absurdity--the very definition of the C.I.A. This is fantastic.

The Ash Garden
by Dennis Bock
Hiroshima is the defining event of the 20th century. Out of the monstrous times of World War II, three lives intersect 50 years later in Bock's mesmerizing novel.

The Cutting Room
by Louise Welsh
This compulsively readable story takes us into the underbelly of Glasgow. Excellent.

Foolscap, or The Stages of Love
by Michael Malone
This is an enormously enjoyable and funny comedy of the Academe and theatre. Throw in a literary forgery and colorful characters, and you've got the makings for a really good time.

War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning
by Chris Hedges
"War is necrophilia. . .The necrophilia is hidden under platitudes about duty or comradeship." (page 165) Hedges has been a war correspondent in such hot spots as El Salvador and Kosovo. This is a phenomenal achievement and should be widely read, as the US once again bangs the drum of war.
Highly recommended!

Salamander
by Thomas Wharton
An engaging and exhilarating tale of a never-ending book. I loved Wharton's novel.

Silencing Political Dissent
by Nancy Chang
The USA Patriot Act effectively gives the finger to the Bill of Rights. Penned by George II and his courtiers, and rubberstamped by the Parliament of Whores it is truly a heinous piece of legislation. Samuel Johnson is right: "Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels."

Dreaming War: Blood for Oil and the Cheney-Bush Junta
by Gore Vidal
In the tradition of the Federalists, Vidal continues his pamphleteering of particular note in this volume, "Goat Song: Unanswered Questions Before, During, After 9/11." As always, Vidal is provocative and razor sharp in his historical analysis.

Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals
by John Gray
Straw Dogs challenges our most closely held beliefs about ourselves. It shatters (happily for me) the delusion that humans are superior to other animals. It is stunning and utterly liberating. I cannot get it out of my mind.

Samaritan
by Richard Price
Price's novel beautifully illustrates, in subtle ways, how even our smallest acts and gestures can send shockwaves through people's lives. There are consequences both good and bad to our actions.

The Rotter's Club
by Jonathan Coe
This is one of my favorite novels of the past five years. Coe's novel is hilarious and painful by turns; there is a distinctly English quality to the social and class context of the novel, but having grown up during the same era (the 1970s), I found myself relating strongly to the music, the books, and the awkwardness of adolescence.

Happiness™
by Will Ferguson
What if someone wrote the ultimate self-help book and it actually worked? This is the premise for Ferguson's great satire. At the risk of being hyperbolic, Happiness™ is among the funniest books I've read. Tupak Soiree's catch phrase is "Live! Love! Learn!," to which I would add "laugh."

Ascension
by Steven Galloway
Galloway has written an unforgettable novel about gypsy highwire walker Salvo Ursari. I was spellbound from the first page. A must read.

Doubts and Loves: What is Left of Christianity
by Richard Holloway
A radical re-vision of Christianity, not for fundamentalists or literalists. Halloway has thought deeply about his religion.

The Territory of Men
by Joelle Fraser
This is an excellent memoir. Fraser recounts her life with serial Dads, and her own relationships with men. It also traces her complicated relationship with her mother. Fraser seems comfortable living in and with questions and negative capability. This is a rich and rewarding book to read.

The Royal Physician's Visit
by Per Olov Enquist
A great book of political intrigue, love, and madness in the 18th century Danish court.

2182 Kilohertz
by David Maisel
This is a terrific nail-biting literary sea story. I can't recommend this highly enough.