http://www.apr.org/donnoble.html Don Noble's specialties are Southern and American literature. His book reviews can be heard most Mondays at 7:35am and 4:44pm. Don Noble also hosts Bookmark on Alabama Public Television. en-us Alabama Public Radio Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:20:07 GMT Public Podcaster 30 Don Noble no don noble, noble, books, reviews, alabama, bookmark Don Noble's specialties are Southern and American literature. His book reviews can be heard most Mondays at 7:35am and 4:44pm. Don Noble also hosts Bookmark on Alabama Public Television. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1899878&pid=217 Stewart O'Nan's thirteenth novel is another wildly original, bittersweet gem like his celebrated Last Night at the Lobster. Valentine's weekend, Art and Marion Fowler flee their Cleveland suburb for Niagara Falls, desperate to recoup their losses. Jobless, with their home approaching foreclosure and their marriage on the brink of collapse, Art and Marion liquidate their savings account and book a bridal suite at the Falls' ritziest casino for a second honeymoon. While they sightsee like tourists during the day, at night they risk it all at the roulette wheel to fix their finances-and save their marriage. A tender yet honest exploration of faith, forgiveness and last chances, The Odds is a reminder that love, like life, is always a gamble. wual Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/1002253/mp3/arts/podcast/175/1002253.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE, A LOVE STORY Stewart O'Nan's thirteenth novel is another wildly original, bittersweet gem like his celebrated Last Night at the Lobster. Valentine's weekend, Art and Marion Fowler flee their Cleveland suburb for Niagara Falls, desperate to recoup Stewart O'Nan's thirteenth novel is another wildly original, bittersweet gem like his celebrated Last Night at the Lobster. Valentine's weekend, Art and Marion Fowler flee their Cleveland suburb for Niagara Falls, desperate to recoup their losses. Jobless, with their home approaching foreclosure and their marriage on the brink of collapse, Art and Marion liquidate their savings account and book a bridal suite at the Falls' ritziest casino for a second honeymoon. While they sightsee like tourists during the day, at night they risk it all at the roulette wheel to fix their finances-and save their marriage. A tender yet honest exploration of faith, forgiveness and last chances, The Odds is a reminder that love, like life, is always a gamble. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1899865&pid=217 This is a story of hidden shadows; revenge and redemption; the confrontation of a sixteen-year-old boy's family, friends, and acquaintances who in various ways try to ameliorate their own guilt as the boy struggles with discerning right from wrong; and, finally, the eradication of a root of all that's evil in the story. In "The Cross Garden" Marlin Barton combines his storytelling abilities with his vibrant description of the Southern landscape to create his most brilliant and most important novel. wual Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/1002245/mp3/arts/podcast/175/1002245.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE, CROSS GARDEN This is a story of hidden shadows; revenge and redemption; the confrontation of a sixteen-year-old boy's family, friends, and acquaintances who in various ways try to ameliorate their own guilt as the boy struggles with discerning right from This is a story of hidden shadows; revenge and redemption; the confrontation of a sixteen-year-old boy's family, friends, and acquaintances who in various ways try to ameliorate their own guilt as the boy struggles with discerning right from wrong; and, finally, the eradication of a root of all that's evil in the story. In "The Cross Garden" Marlin Barton combines his storytelling abilities with his vibrant description of the Southern landscape to create his most brilliant and most important novel. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1899775&pid=217 In 1871 when the University of Alabama reopened after its destruction by Federal troops, Eugene Allen Smith returned to his alma mater as professor of geology and mineralogy. Until his death in 1927, this gifted man devoted his abundant energy and his stout heart to the welfare of the school and the state. Traveling in a mule-drawn wagon, he recorded detailed observations, botanical and geological discoveries, and mineral analyses in his journal. He loaded the wagon with specimens for the university museum he dreamed of creating someday. (Courtesy Amazon.com) wual Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/1002211/mp3/arts/podcast/175/1002211.mp3 00:00:00 no In 1871 when the University of Alabama reopened after its destruction by Federal troops, Eugene Allen Smith returned to his alma mater as professor of geology and mineralogy. Until his death in 1927, this gifted man devoted his abundant energy and his In 1871 when the University of Alabama reopened after its destruction by Federal troops, Eugene Allen Smith returned to his alma mater as professor of geology and mineralogy. Until his death in 1927, this gifted man devoted his abundant energy and his stout heart to the welfare of the school and the state. Traveling in a mule-drawn wagon, he recorded detailed observations, botanical and geological discoveries, and mineral analyses in his journal. He loaded the wagon with specimens for the university museum he dreamed of creating someday. (Courtesy Amazon.com) Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1765887&pid=217 His new book, "Trailblazing Mars," is a combination of history and prognostication. Duggins recounts our longtime powerful interest in the red planet, beginning with fictional treatments by writers such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, H.G. Wells and Ray Bradbury, gives a sketch of the history of scientific ventures in that direction, and then writes about the different theories on how we might explore Mars, if indeed we decide to go forward with that very controversial, exciting, dangerous and expensive project. wual Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953723/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953723.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE His new book, "Trailblazing Mars," is a combination of history and prognostication. Duggins recounts our longtime powerful interest in the red planet, beginning with fictional treatments by writers such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, H.G. Wells His new book, "Trailblazing Mars," is a combination of history and prognostication. Duggins recounts our longtime powerful interest in the red planet, beginning with fictional treatments by writers such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, H.G. Wells and Ray Bradbury, gives a sketch of the history of scientific ventures in that direction, and then writes about the different theories on how we might explore Mars, if indeed we decide to go forward with that very controversial, exciting, dangerous and expensive project. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1765928&pid=217 Rice is factual, but somewhat remote and, to no one's surprise, maintains mostly a tone one might call cool. Anyone searching for details of Dr. Rice's personal life will be mostly disappointed. This is absolutely not a tell-all autobiography. A few men get a few words each. wual Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953747/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953747.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE Rice is factual, but somewhat remote and, to no one's surprise, maintains mostly a tone one might call cool. Anyone searching for details of Dr. Rice's personal life will be mostly disappointed. This is absolutely not a tell-all Rice is factual, but somewhat remote and, to no one's surprise, maintains mostly a tone one might call cool. Anyone searching for details of Dr. Rice's personal life will be mostly disappointed. This is absolutely not a tell-all autobiography. A few men get a few words each. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1765931&pid=217 Randy Roberts, who has also written biographies of fighters Jack Johnson and Jack Dempsey, has done a beautiful of laying out the life and career of Joe Louis and explaining the role that boxing played in American popular culture, race relations and civil rights and, in fact, the ways in which boxing was linked with American patriotism in the late '30s and '40s. wual Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953748/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953748.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE, RANDY ROBERTS Randy Roberts, who has also written biographies of fighters Jack Johnson and Jack Dempsey, has done a beautiful of laying out the life and career of Joe Louis and explaining the role that boxing played in American popular culture, race relations and Randy Roberts, who has also written biographies of fighters Jack Johnson and Jack Dempsey, has done a beautiful of laying out the life and career of Joe Louis and explaining the role that boxing played in American popular culture, race relations and civil rights and, in fact, the ways in which boxing was linked with American patriotism in the late '30s and '40s. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1765917&pid=217 William Cobb has published seven volumes of fiction and has won Alabama's Harper Lee Award for Distinguished Fiction. This novel becomes a dual road trip and picaresque adventure story as we follow the restless Minnie through her years as a prostitute in the old hotel on Cedar Key, to New York and back to Georgia and Florida, not seeking or fleeing, needing only movement, like the gypsy she is. She is not doomed to wander; she is free to wander. wual Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953734/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953734.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE, WILLIAM COBB William Cobb has published seven volumes of fiction and has won Alabama's Harper Lee Award for Distinguished Fiction. This novel becomes a dual road trip and picaresque adventure story as we follow the restless Minnie through her years as a William Cobb has published seven volumes of fiction and has won Alabama's Harper Lee Award for Distinguished Fiction. This novel becomes a dual road trip and picaresque adventure story as we follow the restless Minnie through her years as a prostitute in the old hotel on Cedar Key, to New York and back to Georgia and Florida, not seeking or fleeing, needing only movement, like the gypsy she is. She is not doomed to wander; she is free to wander. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1765902&pid=217 It seems to me in fact that in this novel the love affair is much more with Mountain Brook and English Village and the view from Vulcan than with Birmingham proper. wual Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953730/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953730.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE, FANNIE FLAGG It seems to me in fact that in this novel the love affair is much more with Mountain Brook and English Village and the view from Vulcan than with Birmingham proper. It seems to me in fact that in this novel the love affair is much more with Mountain Brook and English Village and the view from Vulcan than with Birmingham proper. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1765924&pid=217 "What They Always Tell Us" is a first novel, marketed as a "young adult" book . The story is told in a straightforward, clear and non-experimental way, and it is absolutely about young adults, brothers Alex and James Donaldson. They are students at Central High; their stories are told in alternating chapters. wual Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953745/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953745.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE, MARTIN WILSON "What They Always Tell Us" is a first novel, marketed as a "young adult" book . The story is told in a straightforward, clear and non-experimental way, and it is absolutely about young adults, brothers Alex and James Donaldson. "What They Always Tell Us" is a first novel, marketed as a "young adult" book . The story is told in a straightforward, clear and non-experimental way, and it is absolutely about young adults, brothers Alex and James Donaldson. They are students at Central High; their stories are told in alternating chapters. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1765920&pid=217 In this novel, "Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter" we have an exploration of the issue of race in Mississippi that certainly brings to mind the tangled family patterns, with absolute separation of the races combined with miscegenation, leading inevitably to catastrophe, that one finds in Faulkner's "Absalom, Absalom" or "Go Down, Moses." wual Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953739/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953739.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE, TOM FRANKLIN In this novel, "Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter" we have an exploration of the issue of race in Mississippi that certainly brings to mind the tangled family patterns, with absolute separation of the races combined with miscegenation, leading In this novel, "Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter" we have an exploration of the issue of race in Mississippi that certainly brings to mind the tangled family patterns, with absolute separation of the races combined with miscegenation, leading inevitably to catastrophe, that one finds in Faulkner's "Absalom, Absalom" or "Go Down, Moses." Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1765934&pid=217 As Camille Elebash explains in her Foreword, Alline Van Duzor was brought to Tuscaloosa from Atlanta in 1946 to manage the then-new University Club. Van Duzor did just that, for 15 years. In 1962, right after her retirement, she published the original edition of this volume, containing the recipes for the dishes produced in her kitchen. wual Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953749/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953749.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE, ALLINE P. VAN DUZOR As Camille Elebash explains in her Foreword, Alline Van Duzor was brought to Tuscaloosa from Atlanta in 1946 to manage the then-new University Club. Van Duzor did just that, for 15 years. In 1962, right after her retirement, she published the original As Camille Elebash explains in her Foreword, Alline Van Duzor was brought to Tuscaloosa from Atlanta in 1946 to manage the then-new University Club. Van Duzor did just that, for 15 years. In 1962, right after her retirement, she published the original edition of this volume, containing the recipes for the dishes produced in her kitchen. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1765911&pid=217 This is an eclectic and eccentric little book, put together, one is sure, over time from bits Kelly Kazek, managing editor of the "News Courier" in Athens, Alabama, has collected, heard, read, researched and written up and gathered here. wual Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953732/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953732.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE, KELLY KAZEK This is an eclectic and eccentric little book, put together, one is sure, over time from bits Kelly Kazek, managing editor of the "News Courier" in Athens, Alabama, has collected, heard, read, researched and written up and gathered here. This is an eclectic and eccentric little book, put together, one is sure, over time from bits Kelly Kazek, managing editor of the "News Courier" in Athens, Alabama, has collected, heard, read, researched and written up and gathered here. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1765935&pid=217 "The Warmth of Other Suns" is a detailed study of that enormous migration. Isabel Wilkerson, who is already the first black woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism and the first black to win for individual reporting, has the prize for feature writing as the Chicago Bureau Chief of the "New York Times." This book might very well bring her another Pulitzer, for history. It is that good. wual Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953750/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953750.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE "The Warmth of Other Suns" is a detailed study of that enormous migration. Isabel Wilkerson, who is already the first black woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism and the first black to win for individual reporting, has the prize for "The Warmth of Other Suns" is a detailed study of that enormous migration. Isabel Wilkerson, who is already the first black woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism and the first black to win for individual reporting, has the prize for feature writing as the Chicago Bureau Chief of the "New York Times." This book might very well bring her another Pulitzer, for history. It is that good. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1765892&pid=217 Clyde Bolton is one of Alabama's best-known and admired writers. His new book, "Hadacol Days," seems much less edgy, lively and immediate. It is of course smoothly told—Bolton knows how to write—but the story seems a distant overview, more a summary than an analysis, pleasant and nostalgic, a report about an age when it was still safe to hitch-hike. wual Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953727/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953727.mp3 00:00:00 no CLYDE BOLTON, DON NOBLEL Clyde Bolton is one of Alabama's best-known and admired writers. His new book, "Hadacol Days," seems much less edgy, lively and immediate. It is of course smoothly told—Bolton knows how to write—but the story seems a distant Clyde Bolton is one of Alabama's best-known and admired writers. His new book, "Hadacol Days," seems much less edgy, lively and immediate. It is of course smoothly told—Bolton knows how to write—but the story seems a distant overview, more a summary than an analysis, pleasant and nostalgic, a report about an age when it was still safe to hitch-hike. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1764473&pid=217 It is unlikely that Roger Reid will soon quit his day job. Along with Doug Philips and Wendy Reed, he recently shared a regional Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Writing for the "Alabama in Space" episode of the very successful, long-running series "Discovering Alabama." wual Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953039/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953039.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE, ROGER REID It is unlikely that Roger Reid will soon quit his day job. Along with Doug Philips and Wendy Reed, he recently shared a regional Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Writing for the "Alabama in Space" episode of the very successful, It is unlikely that Roger Reid will soon quit his day job. Along with Doug Philips and Wendy Reed, he recently shared a regional Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Writing for the "Alabama in Space" episode of the very successful, long-running series "Discovering Alabama." Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1764518&pid=217 When a writer wishes to have a number of characters reveal their stories, some structuring device must be found. Through an omniscient narrator, DeMott makes the reader privy to the conversations at the actual meetings of the family and to the various private conversations of the participants. wual Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953059/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953059.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE, MILES DEMOTT When a writer wishes to have a number of characters reveal their stories, some structuring device must be found. Through an omniscient narrator, DeMott makes the reader privy to the conversations at the actual meetings of the family and to the various When a writer wishes to have a number of characters reveal their stories, some structuring device must be found. Through an omniscient narrator, DeMott makes the reader privy to the conversations at the actual meetings of the family and to the various private conversations of the participants. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1764480&pid=217 Pat Conroy might be the most dedicated reader of any novelist, living or dead. This volume is a kind of memoir, structured around the most important books and book-people in Conroy's life. It altogether one of the most candid, funny, beautiful and heart-breaking books I have read in a very long time. wual Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953041/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953041.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE Pat Conroy might be the most dedicated reader of any novelist, living or dead. This volume is a kind of memoir, structured around the most important books and book-people in Conroy's life. It altogether one of the most candid, funny, beautiful Pat Conroy might be the most dedicated reader of any novelist, living or dead. This volume is a kind of memoir, structured around the most important books and book-people in Conroy's life. It altogether one of the most candid, funny, beautiful and heart-breaking books I have read in a very long time. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1764459&pid=217 Allen Barra, a Birmingham native and the author of books on his kinsman Yogi Berra and "The Last Coach," Paul "Bear" Bryant, begins his book just where he should: at the scene of the inspiration for the creation of Rickwood Field. wual Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953033/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953033.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE Allen Barra, a Birmingham native and the author of books on his kinsman Yogi Berra and "The Last Coach," Paul "Bear" Bryant, begins his book just where he should: at the scene of the inspiration for the creation of Rickwood Field. Allen Barra, a Birmingham native and the author of books on his kinsman Yogi Berra and "The Last Coach," Paul "Bear" Bryant, begins his book just where he should: at the scene of the inspiration for the creation of Rickwood Field. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1764439&pid=217 As all who know him will attest, Wayne Greenhaw is one of Alabama's best storytellers. In "Fighting the Devil in Dixie," Greenhaw shines the spotlight more on the determined lawyers who went after the flagrantly illegal, unconstitutional city and state ordinances and the Klan itself. wual Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953028/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953028.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE, WAYNE GREENHAW As all who know him will attest, Wayne Greenhaw is one of Alabama's best storytellers. In "Fighting the Devil in Dixie," Greenhaw shines the spotlight more on the determined lawyers who went after the flagrantly illegal, As all who know him will attest, Wayne Greenhaw is one of Alabama's best storytellers. In "Fighting the Devil in Dixie," Greenhaw shines the spotlight more on the determined lawyers who went after the flagrantly illegal, unconstitutional city and state ordinances and the Klan itself. Don Noble http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&id=1764501&pid=217 "Billion-Dollar Kiss" gives a long, knowledgeable insider's look into the lunatic bin known as the Writers Room, glimpsed in "30 Rock," and the process and huge pressures of a weekly show. The dialogue in "Fireworks over Toccoa" is unimpeachable and each scene is drawn as camera-ready for the folks at Hallmark or Lifetime as a seasoned television professional can make it. wual Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wual/.jukebox/media/wual/953050/mp3/arts/podcast/175/953050.mp3 00:00:00 no DON NOBLE, JEFFREY STEPAKOFF "Billion-Dollar Kiss" gives a long, knowledgeable insider's look into the lunatic bin known as the Writers Room, glimpsed in "30 Rock," and the process and huge pressures of a weekly show. The dialogue in "Fireworks "Billion-Dollar Kiss" gives a long, knowledgeable insider's look into the lunatic bin known as the Writers Room, glimpsed in "30 Rock," and the process and huge pressures of a weekly show. The dialogue in "Fireworks over Toccoa" is unimpeachable and each scene is drawn as camera-ready for the folks at Hallmark or Lifetime as a seasoned television professional can make it. Don Noble