Kevin Morris

Philadelphia and basketball. That’s what made this book interesting for me. There were visits to the Palestra and Big 5 games. References to Big 5 players. An apt description of the Walt Whitman Bridge. References to Walt Whitman, Camden and William Penn. Celebrating Stanley Cup victories of the Flyers. Watching Larry Kane and Al Meltzer. This story had a local flavor.

I enjoyed the recounting of basketball stories, some big upsets and some nasty defeats. I found the chemistry of the basketball team and their families interesting.

I was confused around the story of Joe Knight’s legal troubles caused by his multi-million dollar sale of his company. This part of the story was almost an afterthought as it covered Joe Knight’s youth, marriage, family life etc.

I was unsympathetic to Joe Knight based on how he treated his Aunt Dottie (surrogate mother) who sacrificed and doted on him. How he handled her death tells you all you need to know about Joe Knight’s character.

I did plow through the book as I was curious as to how it would end. There were some surprises...Like most of his life, Joe did not catch any breaks.… (mehr)

John Reynolds (called Reynolds by most) is a successful lawyer/producer/entertainment magnate who now seems to be going through the motions of life in Hollywood. Reynolds decides to signup for a Gettysburg reenactment and keep it secret from his family. As the reenactment weekend moves along, Reynolds search for life's purpose is in full force, while his family and friends find out where he is and they all descend upon the reenactment to Reynolds' dismay. By the end of the weekend, Reynolds is a new man, having evolved into his next chapter of adulthood.
The draw of this book is Hollywood escapades and the civil war reenactment and how the two seemingly opposite things are mixed together. I wanted to connect to the main character, Reynolds, more and he wasn't particularly likeable to me. Some of the supporting characters were fun and entertaining, while others were rather wooden and therefore inaccessible as a relatable characters. The situation that is crux of the story is fun and the action of the reenactment is exciting and pleasantly engaging. There are several subplots along the way, my favorite being Reynolds mentor, Norman, and Reynolds daughter, Bella, have a special connection, it feels like a grandfather/granddaughter relationship, with lots of respect and familial affection between the two of them.
Overall, I thought Gettyburg was a little unfocused, but certainly there were some great moments of brevity and harsh realities that will keep the reader engaged. Fans of Civil War reenactments will enjoy this book more than most and Morris does a good job of describing the reenactment scenes so that the reader feels like they are out in the field with the performers.
Thank you to Grove Atlantic, Kevin Morris, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!… (mehr)

A book of poetry by K. Morris. The poems explore different themes, lamenting the passing years, questioning what is called "progress" among others, but there are some nonsensical funny ones too.
One poem that I liked:

The Seasons

Leaves swish like water
As I walk through
Them to reach the park. 'Tis true
Autumn is still here.
Yet, I fear winter will give no quarter;
For each season does murder its daughter
Who dies not, but rather sleeps
And creeps
Forth to softly kill
Her father who will
Rise once more.

As it was before
So it will remain. The perpetual cycle
Of the seasons, a vital order does bring
Spring
Follows winter stern
Buds return
And soon,
Come summer, flowers will bloom.

Autumn imperceptibly doth replace
Summer's flushed face.
While the fall's slow decay
Whispers, "Winter is on his way."

And another:

Midnight Rose

No light, garish and red
Only night's dead
hour
And the flower
Whose bloom
Was gone too soon.

The moon
Shone on
The rose picked
And stripped
By the wind that trifles,
Rifles,
And is gone.

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review-- thank you.… (mehr)

White Man’s Problems is a collection of nine stories about nine completely different guys. Funny, sad, and right on the money, these are glimpses of characters whose outward success masks inner turmoil that complicates their lives and often baffles those around them. Stories such as “Mulligan’s Travels,” about an LA banker’s uncelebrated return home from New York, and "White Man's Problems," the comedic chronicle of a dubious father on a school trip to Washington, DC, exemplify Kevin Morris’s poignant, clever, and entirely entertaining style. Males of all ages are confronted with difficulties—some subtle, some stark—which, as the saying goes, would appear to belong only to them. White Man’s Problems will engage you with real characters, real humor, and sharp moments of truth.… (mehr)