Author: Alex Diaz-Granados
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Music Appreciation: My First Encounter with Berlioz’s ‘Symphonie Fantastique’
🎼 A Fever Dream in Five Movements: Remembering My First Encounter with Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique One of the most memorable experiences from my college years—now four decades ago—took place on a rare cool afternoon in South Florida. I was sitting in my Humanities class at Miami-Dade Community College, where Professor Jay Brown, a talented musician…
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A (Tiny) Bit of Positivity in a Time of Chaos
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda📚 A Little Light in the Chaos I’ll be honest—this week has been rough. I’m staring down another move, and the emotional weight of packing up a life (again) is hitting harder than expected. There’s something about impermanence that always stirs up the deeper stuff: memories, regrets, hopes, and the ache of leaving behind spaces…
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🚚 Help Alex Find Home: A Journey from Miami to Stability
Life’s Uncertainties Strike Again Life doesn’t always follow a straight path. Sometimes, it throws us curveballs that demand courage, resilience—and a little help from those who care. Right now, I’m facing one of those moments. I’ve launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for an urgent move from Miami to somewhere I can rebuild—Orlando, perhaps,…
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Book Review: ‘Close-up on Sunset Boulevard: Billy Wilder, Norma Desmond, and the Dark Hollywood Dream’
Close-up on Sunset Boulevard: Billy Wilder, Norma Desmond, and the Dark Hollywood Dream By: Sam Staggs Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin Publication Year: 2003 Genre(s): Film history, Making of Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood history, Classic cinema 🎬 Book Review: Close-Up on Sunset Boulevard by Sam StaggsEven if you’ve never seen the film, the drama behind it is…
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On Writing and Storytelling: ‘Comings and Goings’ Gets a New Review on Amazon UK!
Across the Pond: Comings and Goings Receives Its First International Review Some mornings begin quietly—but this week, one brought a small, extraordinary ripple. Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen just received its first international review, courtesy of Amazon UK. Meg Learner, a thoughtful reader and longtime fan of Jim Garraty’s journey, offered…
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Book Review: ’38 North Yankee’
38 North Yankee By: Ed Ruggero Publisher: Atria Books Publication Year: 1990 Genre: Military Fiction, Late Cold War Era “Hot War Scenarios,” Second Korean War Fiction 📚 Review: 38 North Yankee by Ed Ruggero Set in the precarious shadow of 1990, 38 North Yankee unfolds at a time when the Cold War has drawn its…
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Music Album Review: ‘Billy Joel – 52nd Street’
52nd Street Revisited: Billy Joel and the Art of Returning There’s something hauntingly familiar about the first album that makes you feel seen. For me, it was 52nd Street—acquired through teenage negotiation, a bulky eight-track cassette wrested from my sister when she moved out. At the time, “My Life” felt like rebellion’s anthem, its defiance…
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‘Comings and Goings’ Crosses Borders—Now in Spain! 🇪🇸📘
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Blogging, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, International College of Seville, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Semester in Spain Program, Sevilla (Seville), SpainA wonderful milestone just arrived with the summer heat: Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen has officially landed in Spain! The copy was purchased through Amazon.es and now resides in the hands of my long-time friend, Lisa Dolan, Student Activities Director at the International College of Seville. Lisa reached out to let…
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Book Review: ‘Haiku for the Midnight Hour’
📘 Haiku for the Midnight Hour By Dawn PisturinoPublisher: Horse Mesa PressPublication Year: 2024Genre: Poetry (Haiku), Horror, Supernatural In August 2024, poet and blogger Dawn Pisturino released Haiku for the Midnight Hour, her third collection of poetry—a book that reimagines the traditional Japanese haiku through a lens of shadow and unease. Traditional haiku, with its…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Bonds of Friendship in ‘Reunion: Coda’
🧭 Monsters, Memory, and the Men Who Stay Reflecting on the Friendship Between Jim Garraty and Mark Prieto in Reunion: Coda Some friendships aren’t just part of the story—they’re the spine that holds it together. In Reunion: Coda, Jim Garraty and Mark Prieto’s bond spans adolescence and adulthood, joy and heartbreak. It’s not loud. It’s…
A Certain Point of View, Too 