Starting from Loomis and Other Stories


Book Description

A memoir in short stories, Starting from Loomis chronicles the life of accomplished writer, playwright, poet, and actor Hiroshi Kashiwagi. In this dynamic portrait of an aging writer trying to remember himself as a younger man, Kashiwagi recalls and reflects upon the moments, people, forces, mysteries, and choices—the things in his life that he cannot forget—that have made him who he is. Central to this collection are Kashiwagi’s confinement at Tule Lake during World War II, his choice to answer “no” and “no” to questions 27 and 28 on the official government loyalty questionnaire, and the resulting lifelong stigma of being labeled a “No-No Boy” after his years of incarceration. His nonlinear, multifaceted writing not only reflects the fragmentations of memory induced by traumas of racism, forced removal, and imprisonment but also can be read as a bold personal response to the impossible conditions he and other Nisei faced throughout their lifetimes.




Starting from Loomis and Other Stories


Book Description

A memoir in short stories, Starting from Loomis chronicles the life of accomplished writer, playwright, poet, and actor Hiroshi Kashiwagi. In this dynamic portrait of an aging writer trying to remember himself as a younger man, Kashiwagi recalls and reflects upon the moments, people, forces, mysteries, and choices—the things in his life that he cannot forget—that have made him who he is. Central to this collection are Kashiwagi’s confinement at Tule Lake during World War II, his choice to answer “no” and “no” to questions 27 and 28 on the official government loyalty questionnaire, and the resulting lifelong stigma of being labeled a “No-No Boy” after his years of incarceration. His nonlinear, multifaceted writing not only reflects the fragmentations of memory induced by traumas of racism, forced removal, and imprisonment but also can be read as a bold personal response to the impossible conditions he and other Nisei faced throughout their lifetimes.




Figure Drawing For All It's Worth


Book Description

Andrew Loomis (1892-1959) is revered amongst artists - including comics superstar Alex Ross - for his mastery of drawing. His first book, Fun With a Pencil, published in 1939 is a wonderfully crafted and engaging introduction to drawing, cartooning, and capturing the essence of a subject all while having fun. With delightful step-by-step instruction from Professor Blook, Loomis s charming alter ego on the page. Andrew Loomis was born in 1892. After studying art he moved to Chicago, eventually opening his own studio, working in editorial and advertising for most of the top clients at the time including Kellogg s, Coca Cola, Lucky Strike and more. He also became renowned as an art teacher and his instructional books on realist illustration and art are acclaimed classics in the field. He died in 1959.




Successful Drawing


Book Description

I tried to make sense of the Four Books, until love arrived, and it all became a single syllable.




Rush Hour


Book Description

This energetic book introduces numerous modes of transportation and captures a diverse array of people participating in the rhythm of the city workday, then reuniting with their families in the evening to eat dinner and discuss the day.




High Season


Book Description

In his debut mystery, Loomis combines razor-sharp wit with a driving plot, in this novel featuring Provincetown police detective Frank Coffin, who investigates the scandalous death of a television evangelist. Martin's Press.




The Salmiya Collection


Book Description

In The Salmiya Collection, Loomis celebrates the essence of everyday life in a little-known part of the world. With lucid prose and keen detail, these stories offer nuanced portraits—tragicomic, bittersweet, and candid—of ordinary Kuwaitis: expatriates and natives, students and professors, siblings, and lovers. In "Ancient Civilization 101," a young man suspects his girlfriend Mariam is unfaithful and, in a fury, shears her long hair. The confidence and boldness in Mariam that first attracted him is now seen as a threat. In "The Conference on Rights and Freedom," two young students invited to present their paper at an academic conference in the United States share with their professor their dramatic plan to "show them who we are." Each of the forty stories in the collection reverberates with the others, illuminating a world the reader will not soon forget. Loomis renders a Kuwaiti society that is complex and distinct, and yet the characters and situations unveil a time and a place that is universal.




Ohana Means Family


Book Description

In this cumulative rhyme in the style of "The House That Jack Built," a family celebrates Hawaii and its culture while serving poi at a luau.




Fire Season


Book Description

Beleaguered Police Detective Frank Coffin is on the trail of a firebug in Fire Season, the third in this sharply witty mystery series set in Provincetown, Massachusetts Until a replacement can be found, Frank Coffin is pulling double duty as a detective and interim police chief for the Provincetown, Mass. Police. The off-season has just started for this tourist town and the streets should be quiet. But they're not. When three fires are sparked in quick succession, it looks like there's a firebug on the loose. A firebug who doesn't care who he hurts. With a deputy terrified of UFOs, a severed head in a lobster tank, and the fact that Frank's mother is setting some fires of her own, it's another busy season in P'town in Fire Season, an excellent addition to Jon Loomis' acclaimed series.




The Monster In the Closet and Other Stories


Book Description

Growing up is tough. So is growing old. And everything in between? Well, it's all tough. Between the pages of this short fiction collection, you will find internet daters, shy bus drivers, talking corpses, playground bullies, and monsters in the closet. Spies, old friends, unhappy teens, grieving sisters, overworked businessmen, and novice chess players bare their struggles and triumphs in local parks, cafes, funeral homes, bus stops, even their bedrooms. These poignant, often humorous, contemporary short stories remind us how important human connections are in this crazy, yet beautiful world. Fifteen stories in all! Read what others are saying about these contemporary short stories: "These short stories are great when you need a five to ten-minute break from your own life. The plots suck you in quickly and the characters are immediately recognizable and relatable. You read wanting to finish the story in one sitting and the perfect length means you can." ~ Meggan "A short read (and it's difficult to get all of the elements of a good story into a few words), a challenging read -- I thought about these stories, especially Say Something (Would I have said something?) -- long after I finished reading. A delightful read -- especially The Orange Scarf. The imagery in this middle story, the imagination, the language -- the writing style -- show talent. Thank you, K. Kris Loomis, for a good read!" ~ Christine "I have to admit that because I'm a fan of longer works myself - 3-volume nineteenth-century novels, doorstop-size biographies and scholarly editions - the trend toward shorter and shorter short stories has somewhat dismayed me, both as a writer and a reader. As a writer, I can't seem to stay succinct, and as a reader, I often feel like a short story isn't really developed enough to draw me into the world and make me care about it. Kris Loomis's stories have entirely changed my mind." ~ Misty "One park, one bench, and 6 characters make for three very unassuming interludes that provide a satisfying glimpse into the lives of uniquely ordinary people. The characters are brought to life with a verbal-visual acuity that leaves the impression of having eavesdropped on the events from an adjacent bench, as opposed to having read them. The stories are brief, but not their impact." ~ John Just because you are busy doesn't mean that you don't deserve good fiction in your life! Click the Buy Now button at the top of the page and find out how easy it is to incorporate more fiction in your life! Kris is also the author of the humorous travel memoir, Thirty Days In Quito: Two Gringos and a Three-Legged Cat Move to Ecuador, as well as the nonfiction books How to Sneak More Yoga Into Your Life: A Doable Yoga Plan for Busy People, How to Sneak More Meditation Into Your Life: A Doable Meditation Plan for Busy People, After Namaste: Off-the-Mat Musings of a Modern Yogini! Get a FREE short story at www.kkrisloomis.com! You can find Kris on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @kkrisloomis.