Quinn's Curios

Creativity Double Feature: Your Inner Critic is a Big Jerk and Creative Quest

By Quinn March 21, 2022Books, Reviews

Your Inner Critic Is A Big Jerk This book identifies common blocks and stopping points for creatives, from jealousy to negative self-talk, and then offers solutions. The book also provides…

Twilight of the Gods by Steven Hyden

By Quinn March 19, 2022Books, Reviews

Part personal, part historical, Steven Hyden discusses the past, present, and future of "classic rock." Broadly speaking, the book covers a period between the 1960s and the late 2010s. Pros: The author…

Initial Impressions: Akko Acrylic 59

By Quinn March 16, 2022Everything Else, Reviews

I ordered this directly from Akko's website at the end of February; it arrived approximately two weeks later. The ordering process was painless, and the final cost was $30 cheaper…

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard

By Quinn March 14, 2022Books, Reviews2 Comments

Dillard provides insight into, "The Writing Life," or hers, anyway. This book is filled to the brim with stories, metaphors, and anecdotes about writing, some of which involve the author…

Rock On: An Office Power Ballad by Dan Kennedy

By Quinn March 12, 2022Books, Reviews

Part memoir, part essay collection, Rock On: An Office Power Ballad by Dan Kennedy discusses the author's 18-month stint at Atlantic Records as a middle manager making 6 figures. I mention…

Guns, Germs, and Steel, by Jared Diamond

By Quinn March 9, 2022Books, Reviews

The stated goal of this work is to answer a seemingly simple question: "why did some societies become conquerors while others were conquered?" After listening to the audiobook, I can…

“Writing Down The Bones,” by Natalie Goldberg

By Quinn March 7, 2022Books, Reviews2 Comments

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg is both writing instruction and zen principles with a sprinkling of personal narrative thrown in. Moreover, the "commemorative," version on Audible that I…

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

By Quinn March 5, 2022Books, Reviews

First, a word from the publisher: Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not…

“A Wrinkle In Time,” by Madeleine L’Engle

By Quinn March 2, 2022Books, Reviews

A Wrinkle In Time follows three protagonists (Meg, Charles-Wallace, and Calvin) as they travel across the universe to rescue their father from an evil force known only as, "it." Along…

Creativity Double Feature: “Letters to a Young Writer,” and, “Turn Your Pain Into Art”

By Quinn February 28, 2022Books, Reviews

"Letters To A Young Writer," by Colum McCann Part practical, part philosophical, this book aims to provide guidance to anyone who considers themselves to be a "young writer." Pros: There…