Writer’s life
Chair Glue for Writers
Lawrence Hill, a good friend and hugely successful writer, wrote to me recently to congratulate me on the success of my recent novel, OUR DAILY BREAD, which has been named to the Boston Globe and and The Globe & Mail as one of the best books of the year. (Yea!) Published by Wordcraft of Oregon,…
Read More"Are you there already?"
Writing a novel is, of course, a mad undertaking. It begins with an effervescent, glimmering vision of perfection, which sets the writer off on her ink-stained quest, assured that THIS time she will reproduce the vision exactly, and as scintillatingly as it first appeared. This mirage is quickly followed by the mossy-toothed skull of doubt,…
Read MoreOh My, The Things I Don't Know
How many times are we told to write about what we know? Too many. I’ll be honest — I’m a magpie, by which I mean I’m someone who’s easily distracted when previously unnoticed bright shiny objects catch my eye. I believe this is a wonderful quality for a writer. Sure, we need discipline, stick-to-it-ness, focus…
Read MoreBailey Day
Today is the one-year anniversary of the day Bailey-the-Rescuepoo came to live with My Best Beloved and me. The Best Beloved is in Europe just now, but he sent an email requesting I give Bailey a few extra treats for him on what he calls “Bailey Day.” He said he can’t believe how his heart…
Read MoreWriting lessons — with laughter
Last night The Best Beloved and I had dinner with Haitian/Quebec writer Dany Laferriere. Dany has written a vast number of books, including the well known and critically praised “How To Make Love To A Negro Without Getting Tired.” His new book, a brilliant memoir entitled “The Return” has been short-listed for the 2011 Giller…
Read MoreI Dreamed A Dream
Last night I dreamed I’d written the perfect story. I came half-awake, filled with a sense of contentment. I even knew what the story was about. It was about a man who was mediating between two warring tribes when it came to him he had the answer to their conflict, which involved both sides saying…
Read MoreOpening the stranger door
So, while I’m waiting for the publication of my new book, I’m turning back to the work-in-progress, which has me in something of a twist. It’s been a relief, frankly, to put it aside for a couple of months while I concentrate on the ‘bidness’ of publishing. However, The Big Dog now wants to be…
Read MoreHere comes the crow, again
So, here I am again. In THAT place. I have a book coming out in the fall (OUR DAILY BREAD), and so I’m presently looking at galleys and cover for the Advanced Review Copies that will go out to reviewers. Soon I’ll be involved in the kind of publicity authors are expected to do…
Read MoreThe Cranky Muse
Last month during the Sharpening the Quill writing workshop I lead here in Princeton, one of my students mentioned that although her lifelong dream has been to be a writer, she’s been plagued over the past year or so by a series of illnesses that have kept her from writing as much as she’d like. …
Read MoreI Don't Write To Be Consoled
In Joyce Carol Oates’ new book, “A Widow’s Story” in which she explores grief in the aftermath of her husband’s death, she apparently decides art is a poor consolation. To be honest, I haven’t read the book, but I thought it was an interesting thing to say. I had to ask myself whether or not…
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