Tag: Books
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The Weight of a Book, the Light of a July Afternoon
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Donating “Reunion: A Story” to the Conway Public Library, Florida Weather, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Summer 2025, Summer in FloridaAfternoon, Wednesday, July 2, 2025 – Miami, FloridaIt’s a hot, muggy, and overcast summer afternoon here in southeastern Florida. Thankfully, while the atmosphere is heavy, the skies aren’t stormy—at least not at the moment. I did wake to the distant rumble of thunder, though. Tourists hoping for postcard-perfect sunshine might be disappointed; the Greater Miami…
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Dear Reader, Let Me Tell You a Story…About Where ‘Comings and Goings’ Came From
Where Did You Get the Idea for Your Most Recent Book? It’s funny how inspiration works sometimes. With my novel Reunion: Coda—which I finished and published less than three months ago—the journey from spark to story was anything but fast. (Amazon pegs it at 529 pages, by the way.) The seed was planted back in…
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12 Months of Change: A Writer’s Reflection on Life and Publication
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Madison (NH), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, Life in the United States, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, UncategorizedMidday / Early Afternoon, Tuesday, July 1, 2025 – Miami, Florida“Time is passing: not leaden steppingBut sprinting on winged feet,Quick silver slipping by.” — Richard L. Ratliff It’s difficult to grasp, here on this sweltering South Florida afternoon, that another July has arrived. A year ago, my life looked completely different—geographically, emotionally, and in terms…
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‘Comings and Goings’: The Paperback Drops Tomorrow… But That’s Not the Whole Story
“When a book leaves its author’s desk, it changes. Even before anyone has read it… it is irretrievably altered. It has acquired, in a sense, free will… The book has gone out into the world and the world has remade it.”— Salman Rushdie, Joseph Anton: A Memoir “It was 1984, unmistakably so—Jordache and Calvin Klein…
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‘Comings and Goings’: A First Review, A Quiet Smile
A First Review, A Quiet Smile There’s something surreal about seeing your work reflected back through someone else’s eyes—especially when those eyes are kind. Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen just received its first reader review, and I’ll admit, I’m still a little stunned. Not because someone read it (though that’s always a…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Writing Intimacy: When Kindness Is the Climax
Author’s note: This post includes a brief excerpt from Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen that touches on themes of emotional vulnerability and intimacy. It is written with restraint, care, and a focus on quiet connection rather than explicit content. I’ve always believed that intimacy isn’t just about what happens between two people—it’s…
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‘Comings and Goings’ – No Kindle? No Problem!*
*“A poem for readers who’ve ever been seen between the lines. Comings and Goings arrives in paperback this July 1—because some stories are meant to be held.” For When the Battery FadesOr the Wi-Fi just won’t play nice… Boston, ’84. A boy on the runFrom chatter and chaos, from everyone.A girl with eyes that didn’t…
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From a Journalism Major’s String Book: – Before Jim and Marty, There Was Maria
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, College Life, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in South Florida, Miami-Dade Community College, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Student Journalist, Student NewspaperI was 24 in the spring of ’87—still holding onto the hope that someday, somehow, math would make sense to me. Spoiler: it didn’t. Not then, not now. Even the so-called “remedial” kind felt like trying to read sheet music in the dark. But while numbers left me bewildered, words felt like home. I was…
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The Echo of a Smile: Memory, Maria, and the Garratyverse
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Books, College Life, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Films by Steven Spielberg, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Miami-Dade Community College, Movies, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, West Side Story (1961 Film), West Side Story (1961), West Side Story (2021)Long before Jim Garraty stood on the curb in Somerville, watching a Corolla disappear into the quiet, there was a boy sitting in a sunlit classroom, speechless at the sound of someone saying “Hi.” I wrote about Maria in Catalyst back in 1987. She was radiant, kind, and achingly real. We shared benches between buildings…
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In Gratitude, Quietly
Earlier this week, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen stepped softly into the world. No fanfare. Just a quiet release—and a hope that the story might find the people it was meant for. And it has. As of this afternoon: 📘 *8 copies* of *Comings and Goings* and *Coda* have been ordered 📖…
A Certain Point of View, Too 