This blog will be sort of a personal diary for me. It will be a place where I talk about my books, the writing life, old memories, women I have known, classic literature, experiences as a tabloid reporter, weird life experiences, crazy jobs I’ve had, places I’ve been, things I’ve learned and people I have known. You would be quite accurate if you called it John I.’s Ramblings.
Tolstoy and Gorky
In 1900, two of Russia’s most prominent literary figures, Leo Tolstoy and Maxim Gorky, were photographed together at Tolstoy’s estate, Yasnaya Polyana. The photograph, taken by Tolstoy’s wife, Sophia Andreevna Tolstaya, captures a significant moment in Russian literary history. Sophia was not only a devoted partner but also a keen photographer, often documenting her husband’s
Zora Neale Hurston
It was once said of Mary Ann Evans (the English novelist who, under the pen name George Eliot, wrote the classics Middlemarch, Mill on the Floss and Silas Marner) that “when you read her work, you knew you’re in the hands of genius.” The same can be said of Zora Neale Hurston, author of “Their
Excerpt from “A Quiet Madness..”
(The following narrative is an excerpt from my book “A Quiet Madness: A Biographical Novel of Edgar Allan Poe.“) Moments later, Maria was escorting Mrs. Allan to the door. “What is her outlook?” Mrs. Allan asked. Maria shook her head sadly. “She doesn’t have long. The doctor says just a few days.” “What will happen
Free Short Story Read!
Archie was ready to die. At least he thought he was. The sentence had been formally read, he had had his last meal, and the prison chaplain had asked God to have mercy on his soul. Now, as he sat quietly in his cell, the hour was upon him. In the distance, he could hear the doors of the outer cells opening and closing. The warden and his entourage were coming to take him to the electric chair. The sound of rattling keys and the opening and closing of steel doors grew nearer and louder, then he heard the door to the death row cellblock open and a chorus of footsteps tromped across the concrete floor.
Give Poe this Christmas!
Dear Reader, Have you ever been spellbound by the words of Edgar Allan Poe? If so, A Quiet Madness by John Isaac Jones is a journey you can’t miss. 📜✨ This riveting novel unveils the heart and struggles of America’s most haunting literary figure—bringing his genius, passions, and tragedies vividly to life. 🚂 Step into
Where do you get book ideas?
Funny how people always seem to ask me that. I can remember, as a young writer, asking that question myself. First, book and short story ideas are everywhere, but you must exercise caution in choosing them. You might get an idea from an experience, an observation, some artistic influence, some snippet of conversation,
Latest review of A Quiet Madness: A Biographical Novel of Edgar Allan Poe
“What made the man? Edgar Allan Poe sits among the great poets and wordsmiths for his literary talents. The nineteenth-century ‘man of letters’ possessed an assortment of opinions on topics of life, love, amorous congress, and death. He acquired his unique style and aptitude over forty years of life. And what a life it
Good-bye, Audrey!
In the late spring of 1969, I was working as a reporter with The Gadsden Times in Gadsden, Alabama. One morning when I came into work, the city editor said he had hired a new proofreader then, moments later, he introduced me to a smallish, bright-eyed, dark-haired, very pretty, nineteen-year-old who gave her name as
