The Shadow In The Mirror
I recently wrote an essay for “The 49th Shelf” about what happens when we think in terms of “us versus them,” a subject close to my heart, since it’s the theme of my recent novel, OUR DAILY BREAD. Here’s the beginning of it: At a dinner party recently, someone brought up the topic of Israel…
Read MoreEndings . . .
“Open Book Toronto” asked me, and a few other writer types, to talk about how to write endings. After pondering the question. . . . well, click here to find out what I said. Hint: It’s good to have one!
Read MoreAt The Mercy Of Our Perceptions . . .
Well, OUR DAILY BREAD is out in Canada now, and I’m delighted with the Canadian edition. Beautiful new cover, deckle edges, French flaps. I think Harper Collins has done a terrific job, and so far the response from readers has been good. Which means, of course, I have to start thinking about what I’m going…
Read MoreThe Measure of Love's Loss
I recently reviewed Jeanette Winterson’s terrific new memoir — WHY BE HAPPY WHEN YOU COULD BE NORMAL — for Truthdig.com. Here’s the first bit: Jeanette Winterson’s novels circle round the same themes—the power of story and mythmaking, the fluidity of gender, monstrous mothers and the loss of love. Her pages are filled with references to…
Read More10 Truths for Emerging Writers (hint: think slow)
I heard from an emerging writer recently who said she’d been crushed, devastated, destroyed by the feedback she’s received on her book, which she recently self-published, and by the lack of sales. She was so convinced it was brilliant. Now she feels as though readers are idiots or else she’s utterly deluded. Either way, she’s…
Read MoreMy Fears Made Manifest
Last week I received a request from one of the chaplains at the nearby hospital to visit a woman suffering from what may well be the last stages of alcoholism. This was her fourth time in hospital in twelve months. I admit my heart sank. Although I am part of a fellowship that understands helping…
Read MoreMusehouse Reading
Bookbound has an article about my upcoming reading at the Musehouse Center for the Literary Arts in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia on Saturday, Feb. 18th. I think the writer, Nicolette Milholin, did a fine job with it. You can read it here. Hope some of you can make it to the reading!
Read MoreThe Neighbor as "The Other"
One afternoon some years ago when I lived in the French Alps, I was driving home with my friend Joan, a Liverpudlian (or ‘Scouser’ as she proudly called herself) who lived in the hamlet below my house, which was farther up the mountain. We had been for lunch in nearby Annecy, a medieval town of…
Read MoreShooting the Crow
I lead a monthly writing workshop called SHARPENING THE QUILL, details of which you can find elsewhere on this website. I named the workshops that because a long time ago I heard an anecdote about John Ruskin (at least I think it was John Ruskin) (NOTE — as you can see from the comments below,…
Read MoreWaiting for Canada
Hello everyone, I’m deep in the first draft of a new novel, which is why I haven’t been as active as usual on this page. However, I did want to tell my Canadian fans that if they haven’t already bought a copy of OUR DAILY BREAD, they may have to wait a few weeks. Harper…
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