Books
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Columns from Halfsquare, including "Giftmas," the essay that ended the war on Christmas!
Rearview: Columns from Halfsquare 2005-2008, including "Giftmas" the Essay That Ended the War on Christmas
This book is for you if . . . you panic at the thought of being hugged by an amusement park mascot. You know that loud leaf blowers may be signs of midlife crisis in men who can't afford Harleys. You wonder what's more plentiful, sand pebbles on all the world's beaches, or ways to spell the name Caitlin. You recognize that the only one excited when you come home from work is the dog. You recognize that inflatable lawn decorations marks the end of America as a great nation. You know that the only way forward is by knowing where you've been, which is the tongue-in-cheek approach to life Mark Morelli writes about in this collection featuring "Giftmas," the essay that all civilized people agree ended the war on Christmas. Mark Morelli wrote the column "Rearview" for Halfsquare.com.
From the book's introduction: This is my first column for Halfsquare, the online magazine aimed at people who are not quite as cool as they used to be – if they ever were – but are not yet square – whatever that is...the only thing I know is that I’m at the age where I’ve covered a lot of miles in this journey, got a lot of dents. Nevertheless, knock on wood, there's plenty of road ahead. I'm not talking about looking back to see if anybody's on my tail. I already know that somebody twenty years younger is nipping on my tail, gaining and passing me every day. This column is about downshifting. Looking into the rear view mirror for perspective on what the hell happened so maybe I can take a wild guess about what the hell's next. |
27 short stories of family, heritage and community, of a Norman Rockwell world colliding with a 24/7 media age.
Tales of Zoalmont and the Melancholy Fringe Stories: 1982-1993
Mark Morelli wrote these stories during -- and about -- the end of an era in American culture. The World War II generation was retiring just as the rise the digital age began. These are stories of faith, family, heritage and community, of a Norman Rockwell world colliding with a 24/7 media age... *A young woman tries to teach her nephew the beauty and joy of nature while he wreaks havoc in the woods. *An aging war veteran struggles to reveal to a neighbor boy the secret of his war wounds. *The estranged sons of an immigrant reunite at his death to justify their own lives. *A woman expecting her first child fears what she sees from the others in Lamaze class. And many other stories. Morelli also satirizes reality talk shows, rock and roll idolatry and a man who uses technology to give his son a sex talk. Twenty-seven short stories. Published by Burtenshaw Media. Mark Morelli states: "I didn't know it at the time, but I was writing about a culture being pushed and pulled in the confluence of two worlds: A simple, traditional past that exploded into world war. And a mass media society two seconds away from exploding into global hyperspeed. It was a transformational moment. Some say the world got better. Others say worse. I didn't know then. I don't know now. All I wanted to do was use my imagination to shape what I saw and try to make some sense of it."
“A young girl with her BB gun; a goopy-eyed boy in a dank basement; a muddy, drunk man hiding behind his father’s freshly dug grave: these are just a few of the characters you’ll meet—and become haunted by—in Mark Morelli’s Tales of Zoalmont and the Melanchology Fringe. Arranged in the order in which they were written, between 1982 and 1993, these stories reveal much more than a young man earning chops as a fiction writer. The settings are vivid, conflicts concisely defined, and the themes are eternal: love, death, and the binding power of Italian cooking. Morelli also exhibits a finely tuned ear for dialogue—the stilted stammer of a father delivering “The Talk” to his son; the loaded Morse code of long-married couples; and the plaintive patter of whiskey drinkers. You will come to know, intimately, the keenly drawn denizens of Zoalmont, and you will carry them with you for a long, long time.” Kimberly Willardson Editor, The Vincent Brothers Review www.vincentbrothersreview.org |
18 essays with discussion questions for classes, book clubs, writing groups & journaling.
Effwords: Faith, Family, Fatherhood & That Other One
“In the eighteen pithy essays comprising Effwords, Mark Morelli deftly explores the power of words and writing. Riffing on small items such as a broken, abandoned umbrella, a plucked autumn leaf, and a stick tossed into a river, Morelli unveils the rich tapestry of adventure and purpose just below the surface of our ordinary lives. He also declares the communicative nature of jazz the perfect model for dinner conversation, and poses questions after each essay, inviting his readers to continue the conversation. All avid readers — writers, both new and seasoned, as well as teachers, students, and book club members — will find themselves delighted to follow Morelli’s lead.”
Kimberly Willardson Editor, The Vincent Brothers Review www.vincentbrothersreview.org "Mark Morelli is a meaning maker with a love of mystery and humor. He must have read Jesus' parables many times since a few of his short tales have that same snap, crackle, and pop of surprise." -Frederic and Mary Brussat, Spirituality & Practice. Read entire review.> From the book's introduction: These pieces all began as notes impulsively written on scraps of paper. In bank lines. Stop lightsIn the margins of grocery lists. Anywhere. They evolved into conversations with myself that grew till they took shape into essays that editors liked enough to publish. Years passed. I now see that what I explored then are ideas even more important to me today. Yes, it's gimmicky to entitle this collection Effwords, but I believe words count. In thinking about one big word that has lost its value in overuse, I look at the other effwords that represent life's biggest joys, sorrows and conflicts. When we grapple with these words and the concepts behind them, we experience the challenges of life and its fullness. This is me and the pen, wrestling with the profane and the sacred, and trying to figure out which is which. -Mark Morelli |
Also available in print & Kindle formats on Amazon sites in the UK, continental Europe & around the world,
and on Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, AbeBooks, Adlibris, Booktopia and other stores.
and on Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, AbeBooks, Adlibris, Booktopia and other stores.