My Legacy of Lying
I come from a long line of liars. My grandfather, a Russian potato farmer, was conscripted into the army in World War I to serve on the eastern front. Most of the soldiers couldn’t read or write, but my grandfather…
YA Wednesday: World History Through YA, Alternate History, Political YA Reads, Is Political Dystopian YA Bad for Teens
With the political conventions going on this week and next week, social gatherings are a lot more complicated. Coupled with the humidity, heat, and a drink or two, differences of opinion can rapidly escalate into shouting matches. Personally, I’m searching…
Confessions of a Chronic On-the-Job Writer
By Guest Contributor Anonymous Hi. I’m writing this blog post at work. A few months ago, I revised the final draft of my first novel right here at my desk, and since then, I’ve been writing short stories, drafting novel…
Friday Feast: Why We Need More Novels About Work; Bookmobiles in Southern Appalachia; Gay book, Indian Book, or Diverse Book; Our New Librarian of Congress; and a New Documentary Explores the Billion-Dollar Romance Novel Industry
I’ve heard folk say work novels won’t sell because no one wants to read about the thing they’re trying to escape. Personally, I love to read about workplaces. The crazier the better. Without working lives depicted in narratives, I assume…
Writing While Poor: Chasing the Dream You Know You Can’t Have
When author circles inevitably talk about what it is they need to write—two hours of Pilates, a stiff glass of Johnnie Walker Blue, a nap—I go quiet in a squirmy kind of way. When I’m told I should really travel…
YA Wednesday: Matters of Race
After the horrific events of this past week, the blogosphere is buzzing with posts about race in America and the Black Lives Matter movement. When I was a kid, there weren’t a lot of books tackling issues of race, identity,…