Words for the Journalista
Are you a journalista? One who journals daily? I think I just made that up, but hey—that’s what makes the English language great: new words. Shakespeare did it. Bloggers do it. Why not you? Obviously as a writer, I’m in love with words. You probably are, too. I can’t help it. I devour words. I think about them at night, searching for the right word to describe a character, convey a ...
Writing fast
There is an ongoing debate in the writing community about whether it's good or bad to push ourselves to write fast. One school says, "Write fast, send it out, never revise except on editorial request." The other--mine own--believes that a book takes as long as it takes. Those who know me, of course, know that I'm all about discipline, and though I don't write fast, I've still ...
Your Favorite Author Reading?
Six weeks ago, in a blog here, I asked who was the most "famous" author you've seen in person. This post today is kind of related, but I'm asking for a twist on that here. Your answer might be the same, but mine is different. I mentioned I'd seen Garrett Hongo, Diane Di Prima, and Gerald Stern read, in terms of "fame." But those were not my favorite author readings. See, ...
Funny! Yakety Sax added to a number...
The Benny Hillifier. We all know that Yakety Sax makes everything funny, right? Check it out mixed with Youtube videos. Start with some violet action, an old favorite bizzarre cat video, and something special that everyone can appreciate. Note: viewers must be 17 y/o or older.
DIY Publishing Course
I'm excited to be teaching my first course on Self-Publishing this fall. Intro to Self-Publishing will be a one-night seminar held at the Bundy Campus of Santa Monica College on September 17th. Online enrollment will open on July 14th. You can look for updates on the Events page of my website.If you are in the LA area, I hope you will join me. It's sure to be a fun evening, and ...
Concentration
Like many, I’ve had trouble concentrating on my work and trying to stay above the squabbling in America reflected in the Democratic and Republican candidates for president and vice president. The cultural and economic wars are being played out every day right in front of us. I am part of it. I know my side, but I also hope we can all remain human. Once this bitter election is over, one ...
all that remains is space
Cleaning is hard work. Emotionally more so than physically. I can't seem to do it all at once, but only in bits and pieces. Today it was a shelf in the 'playroom' that had always been the domain of my sons. I hadn't tackled the tangled mess of hats and flashlights, binoculars and folding saws, screwdrivers and yo-yos for some time and it was a rather dusty pile. A shoe box labeled a size ...
Time and Space -- there's never enough...
This is the crass self-promotion aspect of these great Internet communities -- Our non-profit (all volunteer run) organization is holding a great event in Burlington next month for writers from everywhere (League of Vermont Writers -- www.leaguevtwriters.org). We've invited some great agents to come to the campus of Champlain College to meet and sign writers to their agencies on July 19. GREAT ...
Audio Books in Bed
I bought my first iPod about a year ago and I'm an addict. I love listening to my favorite soundtracks as I write, so I've loaded all of them on the iPod, along with some Springsteen, some meditation music, and chants by Krishna Das. But most of all, I love listening to books. The iPod is a little dicey when listening to books, because if you accidentally hit the scroll thingy in the wrong spot, ...
Who Will Remember
Yesterday, I was with a group of people who have known me at least five if not twenty years. One of the women there and I bonded over the hard-scrabble adjunct teaching life, providing each other with driving tips for the many Bay Rea roads we traversed to get to our work and helping each other get gigs at the schools within our 100 mile radius.One woman there was my former Spanish teacher. ...
