Writing churns things up. That churning is one of the most fantastic things about writing, one of the things I love, but it’s not comfortable. Facing things, really looking at things, staring dumbly at things, that kind of minute and honest reflection, can be difficult and unpleasant. You can also find small treasures there. In … Continue reading House, Stuff, Fire…
If you want to write, you have to write some really bad stuff first. You have to sit down, get out paper or computer and put one word in front of the other, like walking, and if you’re lucky, it can be as unthinking, un-thought about, as walking…for stepping is something most adults who can … Continue reading Writing really bad stuff
I was thinking more about this having excess stuff in the closet, house, etc. It’s like having a really wordy paragraph. I need to edit. In my house, or closet, I’d rather have clear, good sentences and words, without noisy distractions, so that reading my life (and getting dressed in the morning) is more elegant … Continue reading More on the stuff
I have this weird aversion to getting rid of clothes. I don’t know what it is about, but it’s been a trend that I would like to change. I’ve often sorted and winnowed and taken bagfuls to Goodwill, so that’s not exactly the problem. But what bugs me is that I hang on to things … Continue reading How to quiet the stuff…
Deborah Lott’s memoir, Don’t Go Crazy Without Me, is an embodied act of generosity. The narrator shares her life, turns everything inside out, paws through debris, so we can see how it’s possible for people to love and survive. She writes with unwavering clarity and precision. She never varnishes things, never looks away or shrinks … Continue reading Don’t Go Crazy Without Me by Deborah A. Lott
Catching up on some book notes, I’m thrilled to spend a moment recommending that you hurry up and read Chris Tebbetts‘ fabulous & fun novel, Me Myself & Him. I read this novel in 2019, but because the author is a beloved friend from early days, I was “only” able to absorb and enjoy. (There … Continue reading Me Myself & Him by Chris Tebbetts
After recently re-reading The Rope Swing by Candace Kearns Read, in my Facebook memories from 5 years ago, I noticed photos of friends around the country posing with copies of the book to celebrate its 2016 launch. Perfect timing to post Happy 5th birthday to The Rope Swing! Candace Kearns Read is my friend. We … Continue reading The Rope Swing by Candace Kearns Read
Cleaning a corner of my office…going through a box of stuff from when I taught a 9th grade creative writing class. In the box, I found a stack of half-pages detailing an extra credit assignment I offered the students at the end of 2019. Though I rarely read my own work to the class, in … Continue reading Drag it to the curb!
What works best, as a way in? The idea, or the image? The problem with THINKING (about IDEAS) in your HEAD. (This is adapted from a presentation I gave at the Antioch Writers’ Workshop in March of 2018.) How many times have you heard others (or yourself) say or think, “I can’t think of anything … Continue reading The problem with thinking
A couple years ago, when my daughter chose an advance reading copy of Tania Unsworth’s Brightwood at the library (a prize for the reading program), I had no idea we were in for such a treat. The cover looked a bit scary, so I decided to read it to her. (You can read the Kirkus review … Continue reading Brightwood, by Tania Unsworth (Author interview)
Rebecca Kuder 