O, The Oprah Magazine

O, The Oprah Magazine, confirms a review of American Taliban in the April issue.

Cutting Classes Costs $$$

“Daniel Higgins doesn’t look like a Middle Eastern student, but officials say he routinely portrayed himself as one for almost a decade, getting paid up to $1,500 per student to attend their classes and take exams so they could keep their visas current and remain in the U.S.” http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,588485,00.html

Someone is paying to keep these Middle Eastern students away from school and classes. What is he afraid of? That these kids might like their classes and learn something and have a reason to live.

Spirituality Rules? “Spirit Quest,” a NYT op-ed by Charles Blow

According to a Knights of Columbus/Marist poll also released this month, being “spiritual or close to God” was the most selected of any other “primary long-term life goal” among those 18 to 29 years old (other choices included “to get married and have a family” and “to get rich”).

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/20/opinion/20blow.html?ref=opinion

Forty-Foot Faces at Mavericks

“The deep, and the dark, and the infinite.”

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j3pJDnHrNexDZVBsqURne0I8t_7gD9DS0CNO0

“The Jihadist Next Door”

This story by Andrea Elliott appears in this weekend’s Sunday Times Magazine. Here’s an excerpt:

For Omar Hammami, the war in Iraq provided a critical spark as he turned toward militancy…“We espouse the same creed and methodology of Al Qaeda,” he wrote. Of Osama bin Laden, he said, “All of us are ready and willing to obey his commands.” Did Hammami, like bin Laden, consider America a legitimate target for attack? “It’s quite obvious that I believe America is a target,” he wrote.

New Short Story in Epoch

CHIASMUS, a “short” short, is in the new (Dec/Jan) issue of Epoch, the literary magazine published by Cornell.  Spoiler:  “At first only Mrs. James noticed: Robbie’s style had changed.”

Dutch Translation Scheduled for May 2010

The Dutch translator of AMERICAN TALIBAN is already at work and the novel is scheduled for publication by Meulenhoff in May 2010.  The title, HEMELSE GOLVEN, means Heavenly Waves.