Good to Be Seen
I was at a reception last night for an organization I care a lot about (I also serve on the Board). It was a great community event, and it reminded me, again, that no matter how good it is to be in...
View ArticleSeeing Poetry, Looking Away
I think I first became familiar with the work of Stanley Fish in a literature seminar at Yale taught by the late Lana Schwebel. The course, which focused on the work of John Milton, was cross-listed...
View Article30-Second Book Review: Make a Nerdy Living
Make a Nerdy Living: How to Turn Your Passions Into Profit, with Advice from Nerds Around the Globe by Alex Langley scratches at least two itches. One: It’s a motivator. If other people can do it, you...
View ArticleJohn Steinbeck on Telling Stories
Today, around your Thanksgiving table, I hope you’re able to hear and share good stories. Meaningful stories. Stories of how it is and was with you and all your people. John Steinbeck, from this...
View ArticleWriting Advice from The Boss: Make Us Care About Your Obsessions
“Every good writer or filmmaker has something eating at them, right? That they can’t quite get off their back. And so your job is to make your audience care about your obsessions.” – Bruce Springsteen...
View ArticleFourteen Pounds of Books and Gift Receipts
A few weeks ago, I order ordered books from Powell’s. When the box arrived on Monday, it weighed 14 pounds. Saul Bellow, D.H. Lawrence, and Joseph Conrad top the list. Some things I’ve read before...
View ArticleDoes Blogging Mess Up a Writing Life?
I’ve gone back and forth on this. One thing I can say is that when I achieve flow in a short story or longer-form fiction, the last thing I want to do is open another tab and start blogging about it....
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