It was a strange place for an English class, the small, dilapidated building near the campus center. Neglected, the building was in its last year of service before a scheduled overhaul and modernization. The rectangular structure lacked architectural imagination, two-stories with a corridor down the middle–not exactly inspiring. Certainly the size and stature of the … Continue reading
Fiction writing technique can easily apply to memoir. All writers seek to write the most compelling story, whether emphasizing character or action, but fiction writers have the flexibility to bend the universe to suit there needs whereas memoir writers are stuck with the (sometimes boring) truth. How can memoir writers discover more exciting ways … Continue reading
We’ve all heard the debate about whether cursive should be taught in school. Cursive has slowly been replaced by keyboarding skills and is not part of the Common Core guidelines. Yet, according to NPR’s story Does the Fight for a Cursive Comback Miss the Point?, cursive is making a comeback in several states. The arguments … Continue reading
When I wrote about my mother’s family in Hatched in Newtown, I included a lot about her oldest brother, Ernest Kelley. Ernest graduated from high school in San Antonio, Texas, in 1938. His father had wanted him to drop out for many years to get a job and earn money. It was only due to … Continue reading
“Hate” might be a strong word, but it’s closer than not to my regard for the color of pink. It’s not that I have particular distaste for pink, but rather all the pastel colors. Remember Lady Foot Locker stores anyone? Oh yeah, I remember the buzz when athletic shoes were finally made for girls and … Continue reading
After Ray Bradbury died in 2012, many radio programs replayed interviews with the master. A fast talker, he spoke easily about his early failures, but also accredited his success to lots of practice. When the interviewer (sorry, I can’t remember which show or host) complimented his writing, he flippantly responded “well, I wrote everyday for … Continue reading
Many established book awards will not consider submissions from independent presses or self-published authors. My guess is that traditional publishing is still viewed as a quality standard. If the Big-5 publishes a book, there’s a virtual guarantee that it has been vetted, edited, and designed by professionals. While there are many worthy self-published titles, there … Continue reading
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
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
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