Hauntingly spare and shimmeringly powerful, [Pretty Much True] does what the best books do—it hurls you into a world you only think you understand and makes it living, breathing and absolutely engrossing.—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Cruel, Beautiful World
As a television news correspondent, I spent years reporting from military bases where young families and lovers were being separated by the decisions of old men. Pretty Much True is a near-perfect rendering of a story about those who wait under the awful burden of not knowing an outcome.—James C. Moore, co-author of the New York Times best-selling Bush’s Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential
The Year of Dan Palace is a book to savour and enjoy the beautiful clarity of the writing. Stunningly good.—Indie Bookworm Reviews
The Year of Dan Palace is honest, original, and impossible to put down. With a wholly distinctive narrative voice, Chris Jane is a 21st Century Bukowski.—Joseph Dilworth Jr., Pop Culture Zoo
childfree conversation
from the blog
Social media’s “thigh gap” trend not to blame for eating disorders
Originally published Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013 in the Journal Inquirer by Kristen J. Tsetsi The website wikiHow, which offers step-by-step instructions on how to build a door, drive a car with manual transmission, and accept not having children, also explains how to achieve thigh gap. Thigh gap, an aesthetic desired by a segment of young
There’s more to preventing rape than the victims not getting drunk, experts say
Originally published in the Journal Inquirer as “How can we stop rape?” Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013 by Kristen J. Tsetsi The University of Michigan reports that according to studies conducted in 2000 and 2001, teaching men to be dominant and aggressive often leads to their development of hyper-masculinity, male peer support for sexual aggression, and
The making of a book: Part II
Years ago, on a now-abandoned WordPress site, I made A book’s stages of growth: in pictures after having written my first novel, Homefront (Homefront later became Pretty Much True, which became Pretty Much True by Chris Jane, and yes it’s all the same story. Regerts, I have a few). Now that The Age of the Child
Dehumanizing women in advertising
*for the Journal Inquirer (& still more than relevant enough to re-post years later) Federal prosecutors have said one-time East Hartford, Conn. “pimp” Brian Forbes sold two young women to another “pimp” for a promised payment of more than $1,000 in late 2003. The sale — for which Forbes never actually received payment, according to
Book covers distracting me from writing at my Barnes & Noble Starbucks table
Between Two Worlds by Tyler Henry Oh, that wide-smiling, angel-haired Tyler. Am I crazy to believe he talks to dead people? Yes, you say, but I say no. If famous actors—many of them ardent skeptics, mind you—believe him, shouldn’t I? For the sake of argument, let’s say believing something a celebrity believes just because a
Polyamory: An interview
I’ll admit to being uncomfortable with, but not judgmental of, polyamory. My discomfort could be a direct consequence of my having been socialized to believe in one-person romantic love. (One person at a time, that is.) I blame pre-teen readings of Danielle Steele. (“Blame” is the wrong word. I’m quite happy with my belief that
