Patterson

James Patterson is one of the most successful American book authors of all time, and also one of the most prolific. He’s best known for the Alex Cross series, a crime mystery series about the eponymous detective, as well as his astounding output of over 200 books, many of which he has co-authored with various other writers and celebrities including Dolly Parton and former president Bill Clinton. Patterson’s strong suit is his engaging and highly entertaining stories and a kind of writing that makes him accessible to all…

The Righteous Gemstones wouldn’t gel without Judy. The middle sibling and only sister among three adult heirs to a televangelist empire in the brash, ungodly HBO series — played by the comedic wonder Edi Patterson, also a writer on the show — Judy Gemstone is a chaotic hinge for her dysfunctional family. Stifled by an evangelical patriarchy that automatically makes her brothers more important, she’s prone to awkward outbursts and bullying her own submissive fiancé (now husband), BJ, played by Tim Baltz. The start…

What must it have been like to be there at the birth of the NHS on 5 July 1948? For some, it would have hardly affected their health (although it may have improved their bank balance) because, as Isabel Hardman points out in her terrific book, the problem before what was termed the “appointed day” hadn’t been poor health facilities, but lack of access to them. Most people, who feared the financial consequences of poor health, had their lives transformed. To use the vapid language of today, this was industrial scale…

The late British jazz singer George Melly used to ask his audiences: “Who is the greatest blues vocalist Britain has ever produced?” He’d tease them, asking, “Mick Jagger? No! Steve Winwood? No! Van Morrison? No!”, before suggesting the greatest of all time was Ottilie Patterson. Who?County Down-born Patterson surely is the finest blues vocalist hailing from these damp isles. She was also an excellent jazz and folk singer, and her mellifluous voice can even be heard singing Shakespeare sonnets and baroque late-60s…

The bestselling author James Patterson has apologized for saying white male authors face “another form of racism”.In an interview with the Sunday Times, Patterson said white male authors faced such a problem in industries including film and publishing.“What’s that all about? Can you get a job? Yes. Is it harder? Yes,” he said, adding: “It’s even harder for older writers. You don’t meet many 52-year-old white males.”The 75-year-old US author has published more than 300 titles over more than 40 years. With more than 500m…