I’m in the midst of editing my new novel, OUR DAILY BREAD, which will be released in the US in September. It’s the story of what happens in a small town when, for generations, certain folks have been ostracized, pushed away and left to fend for themselves. Considered Those People—beyond the pale, beyond redemption—they become resentful, insular, self-hating, inbred, almost feral. Think a rural LORD OF THE FLIES with grown-ups.
novelist, essayist, teacher
Making Peace with the Writer’s Mind
July 29, 2009 by 3 Comments
A few years ago I suffered a moderate depression. I get them now and then, and certainly I come by them honestly, as anyone who knows me can testify. Usually I go to bed for a few days and then shake it off, but in this case, after a month of lolling on the couch watching bad TV and mumbling about the pointlessness of all existence, my Best Beloved suggested perhaps I needed some help. And so, among other things, I sought out a therapist.
Perspective
April 15, 2009 by Leave a Comment
It’s easy to slip into obsessive thinking. It’s easy to lose our perspective and think our problems, our opinions, our troubles, are more important than they are.
On my bad days, this is my view of the world (Thanks to Rev. Allan King for sharing the image with me.)
I know that sometimes, when someone says something I find hurtful, or thoughtless, I engage in long conversations with them, outlining the error of their thinking. The problem is, they aren’t in the room. Heck, often they aren’t even in my city. The what-I-might-have-saids, the what-I-should-have-saids, go rolling around inside my head until my heart pounds and I’m sure my blood pressure goes up. Sleepless nights can result. General crankiness can result.
