SOMETIMES A WHEEL FALLS OFF: Essays from Public Radio
Connie Cronley, SOMETIMES A WHEEL FALLS OFF: Essays from Public RadioThe majority of these short essays by Cronley, a freelance writer and communications consultant, were originally broadcast as commentaries on both local and National Public Radio; the others were written for publications from her hometown of Tulsa, Okla. Her subjects run the gamut, from aspects of contemporary culture, like feng shui and e-mail, to the pleasure she takes in living in a small city and in welcoming the onset of spring. Many of these pieces sing with sharp humor and poke fun at the author's own foibles, such as her obsessive reading of exploitative celebrity bios or playing computer solitaire to avoid writing. Cronley, however, also takes on more serious issues with sensitivity and intelligence. The title article deals with a time in her life when everything was going wrong and when the support of friends kept her going. She also shares her grief over the death of her mother, which is somewhat mollified by her reminiscences of the happy times they shared. An adventurer at heart, Cronley also takes readers along on her journeys of discovery, such as her visit to an Amish kitchen, where she greatly relished the rich food, and her trip to France, where she visited the American Library in Paris, first established for U.S. soldiers in WWI and later serving as a refuge for writer William Styron when he was a marine. Entertaining and touching by turns, this is a pleasingly well-crafted collection. (Apr.)
closeDetailsReviewed on: 03/26/2001
Genre: Nonfiction
Analog Audio Cassette - 978-1-930709-18-8
Paperback - 266 pages - 978-1-930709-38-6
The majority of these short essays by Cronley, a freelance writer and communications consultant, were originally broadcast as commentaries on both local and National Public Radio; the others were written for publications from her hometown of Tulsa, Okla. Her subjects run the gamut, from aspects of contemporary culture, like feng shui and e-mail, to the pleasure she takes in living in a small city and in welcoming the onset of spring. Many of these pieces sing with sharp humor and poke fun at the author's own foibles, such as her obsessive reading of exploitative celebrity bios or playing computer solitaire to avoid writing. Cronley, however, also takes on more serious issues with sensitivity and intelligence. The title article deals with a time in her life when everything was going wrong and when the support of friends kept her going. She also shares her grief over the death of her mother, which is somewhat mollified by her reminiscences of the happy times they shared. An adventurer at heart, Cronley also takes readers along on her journeys of discovery, such as her visit to an Amish kitchen, where she greatly relished the rich food, and her trip to France, where she visited the American Library in Paris, first established for U.S. soldiers in WWI and later serving as a refuge for writer William Styron when he was a marine. Entertaining and touching by turns, this is a pleasingly well-crafted collection.
Reviewed on: 03/26/2001
Genre: Nonfiction
Analog Audio Cassette - 978-1-930709-18-8
Paperback - 266 pages - 978-1-930709-38-6
