Shelby Smoak

Shelby Smoak is the author of Bleeder, winner of both the 2013 Foreward Independent Publisher Book Award Gold Medal and Foreward Indie Book Award Gold Medal for Memoir. His poetry, fiction and nonfiction have appeared in a numerous journals and magazines.

After a long tenure in higher education teaching literature and writing he now works in healthcare policy and advocacy. He has also been a musician and performer in several bands.

Books by Shelby Smoak

Image of Bleeder: A Memoir

Book Reviews by Shelby Smoak

Image of The Song of Our Scars: The Untold Story of Pain
Author(s):
Haider Warraich
Genre(s):
Medical Writing

The Song of Our Scars: The Untold Story of Pain

May 25, 2022
Reviewed by: 
Shelby Smoak

“Warraich’s push to change the way we talk about pain and prescribe treatment is compelling, especially when he elaborates pain’s enculturation and acceptance of pain in our normal dialogue

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Image of The Bright Book of Life: Novels to Read and Reread
Author(s):
Harold Bloom
Genre(s):
Literary Criticism, Fiction

The Bright Book of Life: Novels to Read and Reread

December 22, 2020
Reviewed by: 
Shelby Smoak

“The Bright Book of Life is a work worth dipping into again and again and following along with Bloom and his lifetime of reading the best of the best novels.”

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Image of The Body: A Guide for Occupants
Author(s):
Bill Bryson
Genre(s):
Biology & Life Sciences, Medical Writing, Science & Math, Humor

The Body: A Guide for Occupants

October 14, 2019
Reviewed by: 
Shelby Smoak

“Bryson has produced a compelling, overly engaging work that is written for Everyman.

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Image of Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda: The Love Letters of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald
Author(s):
Scott F. Fitzgerald
Genre(s):
Authors, Biography, Autobiography & Memoir

Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda: The Love Letters of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald

September 14, 2019
Reviewed by: 
Shelby Smoak

“readers will appreciate the elegance of both writers here, and will, moreover, relish the couple’s unending devotion to each other.”

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Image of Keep Your Eyes Open: The Fugazi Photographs of Glen E. Friedman
Author(s):
Glen E. Friedman
Genre(s):
Music, Entertainment, Celebrity, Collections, Photography & Video, Arts, Design & Photography

Keep Your Eyes Open: The Fugazi Photographs of Glen E. Friedman

July 1, 2019
Reviewed by: 
Shelby Smoak

Keep Your Eyes Open: The Fugazi Photographs of Glen E Friedman offers itself simultaneously as art book and fan collection.

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Image of Serving the Servant: Remembering Kurt Cobain
Author(s):
Danny Goldberg
Genre(s):
Performing Arts, Musicians, Rock

Serving the Servant: Remembering Kurt Cobain

April 30, 2019
Reviewed by: 
Shelby Smoak

“As a biography of a towering musical figure, Serving the Servant is a fascinating read for anybody with even a passing interest in Nirvana.

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Image of Al Schmitt on the Record: The Magic Behind the Music (Music Pro Guides)
Author(s):
Maureen Droney
Genre(s):
Performing Arts, Music, Entertainment

Al Schmitt on the Record: The Magic Behind the Music

November 15, 2018
Reviewed by: 
Shelby Smoak

“This is a book for a recording enthusiast seeking a breezy discussion from a producer whose art was forged in a bygone era, but whose skills should be preserved for when big studios and bi

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Image of Omer Pasha Latas: Marshal to the Sultan
Author(s):
Ivo Andric
Genre(s):
Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Biographical

Omer Pasha Latas: A Novel

October 29, 2018
Reviewed by: 
Shelby Smoak

“this book is a welcome addition to Andrić’s works where the Balkans are revealed in measured prose and where Andri

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Image of Nine Pints: A Journey Through the Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of Blood
Author(s):
Rose George
Genre(s):
Medical Writing, Biology & Life Sciences

Nine Pints: A Journey Through the Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of Blood

October 22, 2018
Reviewed by: 
Shelby Smoak

There’s an old riddle that asks: What travels 12,000 miles but never goes anywhere? The answer: blood.

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Image of Essential Essays: Culture, Politics, and the Art of Poetry
Author(s):
Adrienne Rich
Genre(s):
Literary Fiction, Literary

Essential Essays: Culture, Politics, and the Art of Poetry

September 10, 2018
Reviewed by: 
Shelby Smoak

“this collection refreshes an esteemed opinion of Rich’s invaluable contributions to poetry and feminist thought.”

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