My name is Robert Stricklin and I am delighted to be a new member of BookTalk.org.

I'm originally from New York City and currently live in South Florida where I enjoy writing, composing music and seeing/critiquing as many films as humanly possible.

I enjoy reading virtually all genres of literature and my favorite authors include Edgar Allan Poe, Philip Roth, Henry Roth (anyone named Roth, obviously), Ray Bradbury and J.D. Salinger.

As a new member of BookTalk.org I look forward to learning more about your interests, your published works (if any) and sharing ideas with you, and I am happy to be in such good company.

Wilkommen Herr Stricklin.

One can only pray that Philip doesn't join the halls of the departed any time soon, unlike the other writers you've listed beside him like towering doric columns of portent.

Interesting observation, Mitya. I guess I need so more living and breathing literary role models. Any suggestions? By the way, I'm glad to make your acquaintance.

Welcome to BookTalk.org.

Welcome to Book Talk Robert; I am sure you will find kindred souls here, and will receive some recommendations as well.

Welcome, Robert! You're the second mention of Salinger I've run across lately. I'm considering a re-read of Catcher in the Rye, simply because it's been so long I think a perspective change on it as I've gotten older has occurred, and I need to see what the change actually is. Franny and Zooey continues to be one of the most beautifully written, rich books I have in my collection. I just recently finished reading We Need To Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver. It was incredibly good, for a multitude of reasons, and I'm interested in seeing Tilda Swinton in the film version of it now. I can pass along my review of it to you if you're interested. What other types of writing do you like? Nice to meet you!

Thanks everyone for your greetings!

You know, dfmnola, I just noticed We Need to Talk About Kevin at the video store and passed on it. But now you've got me curious about the movie and I will definitely rent it. I recall the reviews were very good for the film, so I have no excuse not to see it. Thanks for the suggestion.

I also like a lot of guilty pleasures - suspense and political thrillers, pulp fiction and the like. Not into most youth fiction, but the kid in me loved the Harry Potter series. In fact, I'm looking forward to J.K. Rowling's "The Casual Vacancy."

I don't know much about the new J.K.Rowling book, but I have allowed myself more guilty pleasures like that of late. I was actually talking about her with a woman who interviewed me for a podcast last night. We were discussing writers who never imagined, when they were struggling to get their work out, that they'd take off and become such a smash. Rowling is definitely an example of that. I certainly don't see my novel being plastered on lunchboxes in the future...