What I’m reading: The Financial Lives of the Poets

I just finished reading Jess Walter’s The Financial Lives of the Poets, a funny novel about a father who gets himself into trouble trying to support his family during a tough economic time. Much of the humor comes from the author’s comments on the sorry state of the United States.  Walters also wrote The Zero (a finalist for the National Book Award), Citizen [...]

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What I’m reading: Good Poems: American Places

                                          How can you not like a book of poetry that includes “Ode to Hardware Stores” by Barbara Hamby; “John Green Takes His Warner, New Hampshire, Neighbor to a Red Sox Game” by Maxine Kumin; and “Bronco [...]

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Writing process: Shadow side

Below I’ve listed a few ideas from the article “Hollywood Shadow?” by Dana Goodyear. The article about writing was published in the March 21, 2011 issue of the New Yorker. Your shadow side is the source of creativity and flow. The shadow is your unpleasant and underdeveloped side. If you can understand your shadow, you can [...]

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What I’m reading: The Writer’s Journey

I’m reading (well, re-reading) Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Although the book focuses on the structure of screenplays, the information can be applied to other forms of storytelling, as can the descriptions of archetypes that characters represent.

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What I’m reading: Mentor: A Memoir

I just finished reading Tom Grimes’ Mentor: A Memoir in which he reveals the ups and downs of the writing process and the publishing world. The book also offers a glimpse into the friendship Grimes had with writer Frank Conroy.  I found this book to be a quick, enjoyable and worthwhile read.

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What I’m reading: Zyzzyva

Zyzzyva is a print journal that accepts writing from West Coast writers and artists only. The publication accepts submissions from writers and artists currently living in Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon or California. Finally — it pays to be from where we are!

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What I’m reading: Hokusai Says

Hokusai Says    By Roger Keyes   Hokusai says Look carefully. He says pay attention, notice. He says keep looking, stay curious. He says there is no end to seeing. He says Look Forward to getting old. He says keep changing, you just get more who you really are. He says get stuck, accept it, repeat [...]

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What I’m reading: The Writer’s Book

In The Writer’s Book, published more than 50 years ago by Barnes & Noble, the advice is still timely: “…the best work…has always been done by people who were concerned only with pleasing themselves. Given a reasonable degree of competence in the mechanics of the craft, there is an audience, large or small, for anything [...]

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What I’m reading: The World Within

I just finished reading The World Within (Tin House Books), which includes interviews with several writers.  A couple of the writers’ more pithy comments: Claribel Alegria on writing and submitting a book manuscript: “You put it in a bottle and cork it and throw it out to sea for whoever finds it.” Ken Kesey: “My dad told me [...]

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What I’m reading: A Walk in the Woods

I just finished reading Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, a humorous account of the author’s adventures while hiking the Appalachian Trail. The book includes some history and ecology, as well. A fine example of immersion journalism (in which the reporter takes part in the event he’s writing about), the narrative is both entertaining and informative. What outdoor adventure have you gone [...]

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