Most writers will tell you that the thinnest book on their shelf also contains some of the best wisdom (and possibly the most dogeared pages). The Elements of Style by William Strunk Junior and E.B. White is a go-to for…
You could chalk it up to nostalgia: Re-watching a childhood classic to remember a loved one or a Christmas past. But often, I find turning to classic Christmas movies can be a way for me, my family and friends to…
I took a course called Technical Writing in grad school. The professor assigned a short manual that he had written himself as the required reading. He spent a lot of the time talking about the precision of language required to…
I admit it, I’ve fallen in love with my share of anti-heroes. Whether it is Lady MacBeth for her unapologetic ambition, Scarlett O’Hara’s vanity (and great taste in hoop skirts), or even the cruel seduction tactics of Lestat de Lioncourt…
Often I feel like I’m stealing time from everything else I should be doing to write. Or else, I’m living the nightmare of an “I’d rather be fishing” bumper sticker. In this metaphor fishing = writing. It’s a constant trade-off…
As the wheels of our plane hit the tarmac, the woman sitting next to me lost her grip on the powered-down cell phone she’d been clinging to throughout the flight. It landed with a soft thunk on the thin carpet…