Marketing departments can rack their brains trying to develop a campaign that sells a product, but when a customer makes a suggestion that proves the winning formula–magic! Novelist Alexander Chee happened to mention in an interview that he liked to write on trains. Picked up on twitter, the comment gained momentum in cyber circles, including … Continue reading
Here are a few writing events that I’ve found in the Northeast. Feel free to send me info on others. Connecticut: The Big Book Giveaway, Mohegan Sun, (TBD). SCSU MFA Writers’ Conference: A Gaterhing of CT-Region Writers, March 6 & 7, 2015 (New!) Mark Twain House Annual Writers Weekend, Hartford, CT, April 17-19, 2015. CAPA-U, … Continue reading
Yesterday I mused whether certain bestsellers will (or did) become classics. See my previous post here. I recently came across the list above in the Feb 24, 2014 edition of Publisher’s Weekly. It reveals the year’s top selling backlist fiction titles, which includes books that have been on sale for longer than one year. Four … Continue reading
I’d written a few months ago about my Newtown High School reading lists. We were asked to read a number of books over the summer and throughout the year on our own. At the beginning of the school year, as well as two days each month, class periods were set aside to answer an essay … Continue reading
I came across the title above, “The Worst Hard Time,” while sorting used book donations at the local library. The cover looked strange, a white border around a shrunken cover image. What kind of book looks like that? I studied the book briefly and noticed the “World Book Night U.S. 2013” at the bottom of … Continue reading
Dani Shapiro’s best-selling memoir “Slow Motion” was published by Random House in 1998. I have not read the book (yet!), but it appears to be a woman’s awakening after a terrible car crash. The book was reviewed by the New York Times during the same year in an article titled “Wake-up Call.” Two years later … Continue reading
Check out the Telegraph’s January 12, 2014 article titled “Scientists find secret to writing a best-selling novel.” By analyzing words and grammar, an algorithm can predict success with 84% accuracy.
I’m not really a reader of fiction, but I have to admire the book cover design of “The Goldfinch” by Donna Tart. The illustrated tear with the goldfinch peeking out is reportedly one of the most Instagramed book covers in 2013. With a hefty 771 pages, the novel has been described as “Dickensian” with positive … Continue reading
The Colin McEnroe NPR talk show broadcast “The Art (and Glut) of Memoir” in January 2012. The link includes a short article and the roughly 49-minute audio. The host discusses the memoirs that have made it to the bestseller list (all by celebrities), whether “memoir” is prestigious or simply a dirty word, and some writing … Continue reading
I found a copy of the 1998 version of “On Writing Well,” while rummaging around used books at the local library. I’ve been looking for books on creative writing, convinced that I can learn most of the tricks of the trade without shelling out big bucks for an MFA. When I held up … Continue reading
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