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REVIEWS OF JOSEPH SUTTON’S MANY BOOKS

“I am eager to read more of Joseph Sutton.”

“Reading Joseph Sutton’s book was very comforting in these strange coronavirus times. Selected writings were taken from eight of his books. The pieces about his students seemed prescient in this moment of Black Lives Matter, or maybe things just don’t change much at all over time. I am eager to read more of Joseph Sutton.” —Emily Williams, book reviewer

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“…and still can’t believe it.”

“If I wasn’t a witness to the events unfolding with Donald Trump as the President of the United States, I would’t believe a word of what Joseph Sutton has chronicled in his pamphlet Trump Times: Three Essays. But I’m witnessing it…and still can’t believe it.” —Charles Lewman, teacher and philosopher

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“…the reality in America!”

“So true yet so sad about Joseph Sutton’s Trump Times being the reality in America! We Americans are beset with many delusional and irrational people blinded by their own fears and rages! Unfortunately, we live in a world lacking in progressive, creative, compassionate and humanitarian thinkers! It takes a lot of courage and boldness to be objective in life. When people can overcome their preconceptions, biases and ignorance we can advance our species. But this goal seems more elusive than ever. All we can do is try our best to bring light and truth wherever we go! Joseph Sutton is one of those messengers of light and truth.” —Neal Grace, poet and author of many books

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“A delight of a read…”

“Sometimes I come across an unexpected gem. My Writing Year: Making Sense of Being a Writer is one of them. Joseph Sutton set himself the task to write an essay each week for a year about the writing process. A delight of a read in which Sutton shows how excellent writing can be short and succinct. He muses about why he writes and his thoughts are terse with descriptive honesty.” —Gert Scholtz, South African author

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“…imperative to the health of our democracy.”

“Joseph Sutton has gone beyond just a criticism of Donald Trump, he has intellectually developed a comprehensive criticism of everything Trump! He has hit all the bases of the things I have thought about our president but didn’t have the ability to express. His book *Trump Times* is the kind of protection the founders of our nation envisioned as being imperative to the health of our democracy.” —Leo Catalano, teacher

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“…a cool insider’s view…”

“SF Giants Fan’s Journal” is such a cool insider’s view of those three championship years as they were unfolding. I can so relate and am having a blast reliving it all. I love this book.” —Frank Rogers, a Giants fan

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“…the can-do attitude it embodies.”

“As a (not very prolific) writer, I enjoyed the simplicity of the advice in Joseph Sutton’s This Writing Life and the can-do attitude it embodies. There are nuggets of wisdom here that are useful, timely and thoughtful.” —Jillian Mosley

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“I wish I had written it.”

“Joseph Sutton’s “The Life and Death of Abraham Massry and Other Stories” is a one-of-a-kind book. Wow! I wish I had written it. A truly remarkable book about family. It resonates and is very touching. Sutton expresses a depth of feeling with deceptive simplicity.” —Judy Levy-Sender, poet and artist

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“Baseball…a way of life.”

Baseball is not just a sport for Joseph Sutton; it’s a way of life. In his new book, “San Francisco Giants: A Fan’s Journal 2010, 2012, 2014,” he chronicles the three Giants World Series seasons as well as the relationship with his son and its progression as he coached his son’s Little League teams over two decades ago.

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“Sutton’s hero empowers his students in a revolutionary way…”

“I enjoyed A Class of Leaders and the theme of questioning authority. Today the No Child Left Behind Act graduates many domesticated robots who are good at following orders and NOT asking questions. Sutton’s hero empowers his students in a revolutionary way: he encourages them to think, question, and teach. A great, great read.” —Rena Blumberg, teacher

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“…highly recommend…”

“I enjoyed A Class of Leaders immensely. I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes to read about the many challenges a teacher faces when making decisions that affect his students. It was a fascinating read.” —Jeannette Barry, therapist

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“…a lot to say about writing…”

Joseph Sutton has a lot to say about writing in My Writing Year. I particularly liked his emphasis on actually writing—getting words down as a pathway to clarifying thoughts. So many would-be writers wait for a thunderbolt or talk about writing but don’t actually write.

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“…celebration of being a father and a son.”

“Joseph Sutton’s “San Francisco Giants: A Fan’s Journal” is a wonderful, wonderful book. It’s not just the celebration of the San Francisco Giants winning three World Series championships in five years, it’s also the celebration of being a father and a son.” —John Rothmann, radio talk show host

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“…chronicles three championship seasons.”

“Joseph Sutton’s “San Francisco Giants: A Fan’s Journal” chronicles three championship seasons. The hook of it is not only a succinct journal of San Francisco’s three World Series titles in five years, but it’s also interwoven with Sutton’s experiences coaching his son’s Little League teams more than twenty years ago.” —Marty Lurie, KNBR-AM radio sports show host

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“…truly remarkable.”

“As a father of an 11-year old Little Leaguer, I find Joseph Sutton’s “San Francisco Giants: A Fan’s Journal” truly remarkable. It’s touching what he writes about his own son as a Little Leaguer. This book is a gem.” —Richard Vogel, psychologist

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“Joseph Sutton has created a rare story…”

“Joseph Sutton has created a rare story that everyone will want to read — kids, adults, baseball fans, anyone who wants to know that with a little pluck and perseverance we all could end up in first place.” —George Samsa, Amazon book reviewer

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“What a great idea…”

“What a great idea Joseph Sutton has, combining the San Francisco Giants’ three World Series championship seasons with reflections on coaching his son’s Little League teams over two decades earlier.” —Bernie Schneider, author of Glory and Heartbreak: The History of Intercollegiate Men’s Basketball in the SF Bay Area

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“I was intrigued with the whole concept of the democratic classroom…”

“I was intrigued with the whole concept of the democratic classroom in A Class of Leaders and how Joseph Sutton brought it to life. I was thoroughly impressed with the way he captured the dialogue and attitudes of the African-American students of the late 1960s. I don’t think any writer, black or white, has ever done it better.” —Bernie Schneider, author of Glory and Heartbreak: The History of Intercollegiate Men’s Basketball in the SF Bay Area

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“…I could identify with so much.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed reading Joseph Sutton’s Write Now! Again, like in his Morning Pages, I could identify with so much. In this case it’s his perseverance and his encounters with the whole experience of promoting a book.” —Abby Caplin, holistic doctor

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“Joseph Sutton lets us into his writer’s world…”

“Joseph Sutton lets us into his writer’s world, and into his life, and shows us the way: A daily practice of putting words to page. He makes it seem so simple, this writing business, so available. Anyone can do it…even me. Write Now! is a sage little book that makes me want to write again.” —Gary Turchin, poet

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“If you’re a writer or want to be a writer…”

“If you’re a writer or want to be a writer, Write Now! will lead you into the writer’s life–to the life of rejection, questioning your writing abilities, wondering if you’ll ever get published and what to do when no one comes to your book reading. This book is not only the story of the making of a writer, it’s a book that will make you want to write.” —Donald S. Ellis, publisher

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“…truly inspiring!”

“Morning Pages is truly inspiring! In fact, so much so, that I have started to write down my own ‘recollections.’ Joseph Sutton makes his stories so personal—I feel like I’m actually there watching him achieve his successes and manage his failures.” —Ray Balbes, artist

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Tackling the Dreaded “Block”

San Francisco writer Joseph Sutton’s novel, Morning Pages: The Almost True Story of My Life, provides a rare glimpse into all the thoughts and feelings a writer has in the quest to do what writers do—write! Yet there is one obstacle to the creative process that most writers know all too well—the demon known as “writer’s block.”

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