Love and Its Representations in Literature
In my very first college English lit class, the teacher asked us to write a poem on sexuality, and I wrote a limerick about a turtle. It was the only thing I could think of that rhymed with fertile. Of…
YA Wednesday: Why Being A Debut Author Isn’t Exactly A Dream Come True, 10 Things I’ve Learned About Being A Debut Author, 10 YA Authors on Not Being a Debut Anymore
I recently got laid off from an IT job I’d held for 35 years (I really did stay at an insurance company that long) and became a debut author. This has been, without a doubt, an exciting time. But new…
Everyday Expressions of Emotion & Other Wearisome, Well-Worn Words
I’m at that point with my manuscript: banging my head against the wall as I flag and purge repetitive words and replace all those well-worn expressions: he smiles, she grins, he laughs, they frown, she shrugs, he furrows his brow,…
Friday Feast: Crafting a Professional Image, Diversity Chat, What Makes a Novel, Author Websites, and a Bookstore Holiday
I ate a bit too much red meat and drank a bit too much red wine with friends last night while discussing works in progress, travel to Chile, osteology, and the Donner Party, among other things. Definitely not crafting a professional image…
An Interview with Alexander Chee, Author of The Queen of the Night
Alexander Chee’s second novel, The Queen of the Night, has topped nearly every “2016 must-read” list that flooded the Internet in January, and the response to each was ecstatic. Chee is not only a writer’s writer, but a great friend…
Confessions of a Story Slam Winner
I am sitting in the audience waiting to see if Steve Almond will call my name. After years of listening to the Moth Radio Hour and going to Story Slams, I have finally gotten up the nerve to put my…