Was just posting about book blurbs in one of my comments here and thought I’d link to this great little essay by Annie Proulx, which I found a few years ago–Blurbs & Pufferies: I have mixed feelings about the utility of the blurb. On one hand, in the bookstore often read them and sometimes buy a book on the strength of the blurbs, and … Read More

You know what I’m going to do?

Correct. I am going to go right to the link I got in the email below leading me to a site on the world wide internet and commence shopping (note: as you read this imagine it in the voices of Dan Akaroyd and Steve Martin when they did the Two Wild and Crazy Guys skit–and if you’re too young to remember that, then I … Read More You know what I’m going to do?

a must read

Okay. Everyone. Stop what you are doing right now. Put that DOWN! Stop! And go and read this–The Upside of Turning 60, by Diane Keaton: There is great value in being fearless. For too much of my life, I was too afraid, too frightened by it all. That fear is one of my biggest regrets. I wish I had put myself out there a … Read More a must read

Well, I sorta love this: November Blue by The Avett Brothers (note: you need quicktime to view and listen)

There is a large platform in the sky–it is the size and shape of a football field, but transparent (still I think it has lines on it) and there are ladders from the ground up to the platform. The thing is that it as high up as an airplane. So if you are on it (as I was) and looking down, it’s a long … Read More

The Winter Issue of FRiGG

For your reading pleasure today: The Winter Issue of FRiGG–a gorgeous ezine, filled with tantalizing writings. Go on and read it!

Previous Post

Julie Orringer’s How to Breathe Underwater is a heartbreaking collection about lost children, oblivious adults, dying parents, dead girlfriends, cruel brothers, brutal friendships, and girls on the edge. In short, it was right up my alley and I really loved it. If pressed to pick a favorite story, it would have to be “What We Save”–on the surface it is about a family trip … Read More Previous Post

Diary of an Aggressive Brusher: A Cautionary Tale

When you were a kid, did you ever have that day in school when someone (who was it–a dentist? the school nurse? I can’t remember) would demonstrate proper brushing techniques? Afterwards, you would get a toothbrush, a small tube of toothpaste, maybe some floss, and the most important thing–the thing you really wanted!–those red beads which you were supposed to swish around in your … Read More Diary of an Aggressive Brusher: A Cautionary Tale

A couple of items of note on a soggy Tuesday: *Please go check out Jordan Rosenfeld’s interview over at Too Beautiful (while there, you might want to check out the archive of the What Are You Working On series so far) *Ghoti issue #5 is live and features the work of some of my pals: Randall Brown, Tiff Holland, Michelle Garren Flye and many … Read More

One of my friends, an avid reader and lover of the short story, was asked recently what his top favorite collections are–Through the Safety Net by Charles Baxter was on that list and it is no mystery why, as it is a gorgeous, poignant, and wonderful collection of stories that test boundaries of what is expected by the reader. The only other Charles Baxter … Read More

Behold! The tree that took out our power yesterday. As you may (or may not) know, pine trees have shallow roots and so when you heavy rain, followed by heavy wind (and snow), you are in danger of having fallen trees. And this tree fell and took the wires with it. It also spanned the width of the street so that those of us … Read More

the issue of re-entry

If we’re going to keep seeing each other this way, there’s probably something you should know about me. I have, according to my best friend, this syndrome in which I do something making it difficult, if not impossible to go back to certain places. The “something” I do is not always the same thing, but it whatever it is, it means that I’ve either … Read More the issue of re-entry