T. M. Doran
T. M. Doran is a writer, educator, and consultant. An adjunct professor of civil engineering at Lawrence Technological University, he is the author of the novels Toward the Gleam, Terrapin, and Iota. You can follow him on Facebook.
Ignatius
Novels by
author
Posts from this author at the Novel Thoughts blog.
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How ideology is poisoning storytelling and rattling readers
May 1, 2017 5:46 pm Leave a Comment
Every writer brings a perspective to his or her creative work, but there’s a difference between bringing a perspective to storytelling and using storytelling as a means to impose the author’s views on the reader. With thousands of radio and television shows and an unfettered Internet, the commercial and cultural… Read more »
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An Unlikely Hero
October 5, 2016 1:54 pm Leave a Comment
If we desire a literary hero, Bilbo Baggins wouldn’t be at the top of the list. Even those who opt for a hobbit hero would likely gravitate to Frodo, or maybe Sam Gamgee, and many “Lord of The Rings” devotees would select Aragorn, Gandalf, Eowyn, or Faramir. Harper Lee’s Atticus… Read more »
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Human Liberty and “The Obsolete Man”
March 23, 2016 1:17 pm Leave a Comment
Is there a common thread between Christians and other “enemies of the faith” murdered by the scores in the Middle East, Africa, and elsewhere; “enemies of the state” beaten or disappearing in Russia, China, and North Korea; and many other states where a failure to conform to the orthodoxy of… Read more »
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Short Story: Leonardo’s Work
September 29, 2015 11:18 am 4 Comments
Ours is an age where we are barraged at all times by expert opinions, where the obvious becomes elusive. In this original science-fiction short story by T.M Doran, the expert eye may not see what the amateur can. Enjoy. “How many Roadrunners will be delivered this week?” said Leonardo. “Eighty-two.”… Read more »
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How Atticus Finch Went Off the Rails
August 24, 2015 1:55 pm 5 Comments
More than a few have told me to let go of the subjects of Atticus Finch, Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman. The books are published. It’s history now. Atticus Finch is a fictional character. And who cares? I care because this involves an artist… Read more »
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In Praise of the (practically defunct) Short Mystery Story
November 10, 2014 4:34 pm 2 Comments
Ever since Terrapin was published and a Cole Porter Palmer short mystery story was included as an appendix (“The Deadly Dart Mystery”), Ignatius has been offering an annual CPP mystery story. In 2012: “A Legendary Mystery”. In 2013: “The Yellow Tavern Mystery”. And in 2014: “The Linden Murder Case Mystery”…. Read more »
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The Creative Seed
July 15, 2014 11:48 am Leave a Comment
When we encounter the works of Dickens, Waugh, Eliot, and O’Connor; Beethoven, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky; Da Vinci, Rembrandt, and Picasso, we are amazed at the abundance of creativity, far surpassing that of “mere mortals”, art so sublime, so beautiful, so moving, that we can only marvel at it. So why… Read more »
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Toward the Gleam: Making the Sausage
June 17, 2014 11:46 pm 4 Comments
I’ve been asked by many how this story came to be. Where did the idea originate? How was the “superstructure” of the story assembled? How long did it take to compose Toward the Gleam? These questions are asked of many authors about many novels. Some story writing happens so organically… Read more »
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Why Waugh?
April 10, 2014 12:07 pm 3 Comments
If you made a list of writers who are masters at storytelling, masters of humor, and masters of English prose, it would be a short list. One who belongs on this list is Evelyn Waugh. British novelist and journalist, Evelyn Waugh, had three books listed among the Modern Library’s 100… Read more »
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Dickens, Ratty, and Middle Earth
March 12, 2014 1:40 pm 6 Comments
Many who have read and treasured The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have insisted that no other story has had a comparable effect on them. People point to other literary myths and fantasy stories that have been enjoyable reads, but which pale in comparison to Tolkien’s masterpiece. Such… Read more »