Hoffman, Lynn 1944-

PERSONAL:

Born December 18, 1944; divorced; father. Hobbies and other interests: Food, wine, cooking, playing pool, kayaking, fishing, and sailing.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Philadelphia, PA.

CAREER:

Writer. Drexel University, Scholar in Residence in Food and Culture; Wine School of Philadelphia, teacher.

WRITINGS:

The New Short Course in Wine (nonfiction), Prentice Hall (New York, NY), 2006.

Bang-Bang (novel), Kunati (Largo, FL), 2007.

Also author of a novel, The Bachelor's Cat, and a blog on Amazon.com. Contributor to various Web sites, including Gather.com. Author of weekly wine column for the Philadelphia Daily News.

SIDELIGHTS:

Lynn Hoffman has a fascination with food and drink—particularly wine—that shines through in his writing. He has written a book on wine, The New Short Course in Wine, and enjoys indulging in his favorite beverage in his free time. Hoffman's novel, Bang-Bang, includes plenty of details recounting the food and wine choices of his characters. The plot centers on Paula Sherman, a waitress and singer whose close friend is killed in a street shooting. Paula finds herself the poster child for the United Gun Association (UGA), a pro-gun lobby, when she is quoted as blaming the killer for her friend's death rather than the weapon itself. Horrified and unable to separate herself from her new gun-toting image, Paula decides to turn the tables on the UGA by shooting up the windshields of people displaying pro-UGA bumper stickers. Hoffman demonstrates his wit as well as his political leanings in this well-received novel. David Pitt, in a review for Booklist, remarked that "brilliant might be too big a word for this novel but not by much." Writing for Foreword, Joe Taylor said of Hoffman: "He brings the reader along for a through-the-lens narration, writing in immediate, sensuous, snapshot-style prose." In an article on writing that Hoffman wrote for Gather.com, he stated that "the important thing to bear in mind is that while anybody can write, it takes a real writer to keep on rewriting until it comes out right."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, January 1, 2007, David Pitt, review of Bang-Bang, p. 54.

Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2006, review of Bang-Bang, p. 979.

ONLINE

Foreword,http://www.forewordmagazine.com/ (April 25, 2007), Joe Taylor, review of Bang-Bang.

Lynn Hoffman Home Page,http://lynnhoffman.squarespace.com (April 25, 2007).