Today, we’re back for number eight in my series about my favorite passages in literature that speak to what it means to write and play at creating this thing called a novel. Today, I give you Haruki Murakami from a short story in The Elephant Vanishes. The story is “The Last Lawn of the Afternoon,” Read More …
For number nine in my series of passages about writing in literature, that have stuck with me through the years, I give you James Joyce from a short story in Dubliners. The story is “A Little Cloud,” and the main character is thinking about his desire to write, to capture in verse something that wells Read More …
I must admit I never read any of Maya Angelou’s stuff before she died. That’s what it took. And it wasn’t that I sought it out. It was an article about her death, an article that quoted a poem of hers. It was the headline on Slate.com that caught my eye: Maya Angelou on What Read More …
Northwest Music Scene was kind enough to post a preview (link below) of The Music Book, which for those of you who don’t know is the title for my next book. It’s about music, especially local Seattle bands, love, loss, a mutable past. Look for it this fall, possibly late summer, but that might be Read More …
The day before Mother’s Day, I have a story about a father, and of course, beer. Last year, the father of a good friend of mine was diagnosed with something called myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which is something I’d never heard of. MDS is a blood disorder that essentially means over time the blood will lose Read More …
Let’s jump right in with the good news. My second book will be published later this year by Booktrope, a small company partially based here in Seattle. And I couldn’t be happier. You see, it was only a few months ago that I went through a period of doubt while finishing the manuscript. I had Read More …
Yesterday, Slate.com was kind enough to publish an essay I wrote in response to prompts for pieces about bullying episodes from middle school and high school. However, since they chopped about two thirds off what I wrote, I figured I’d post the full thing here. For the curious and for those who want to compare, Read More …
As usual, the bedroom TV was tuned into the morning news. We like the ambient noise as we get ready for the day, and Sunday was going to be a good one. We were going to the Puyallup Fair. We were eschewing a day of laundry and house cleaning for a few rickety rides, some Read More …
I was recently tagged on Facebook with the task of listing ten books that changed me or affected me or that were my favorites. Something like that. I’ve seen variations of this challenge go around, and so while wondering how I could possibly limit myself to ten books, I came across an article by Alexis Read More …
Last month, I came across a link to an article on Buzzfeed that was a collection of reader-submitted suggestions for what are the best sentences in literature, and what can I say, curiosity got the better of me so I clicked through knowing all the while that I’d be disappointed. It’s inevitable from such lists. Read More …