In World War I it was known as SHELL SHOCK; in World War II they called it BATTLE FATIGUE.  Today we know it as a problem of the mind: PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is defined as a psychological condition affecting those who’ve experienced a traumatizing or life-threatening event such as an accident, rape, natural disaster, a violent personal assault, or  wartime combat. (more…)

In the last of three April blogs I touched on a type of book known as the serious novel. Not a genre in itself, the serious novel refers to any work in which the author deals with a more weighty theme, something of undeniably genuine substance. Such a work often takes the form of a literary novel. (more…)