Writer’s Mental Health
"If you're at the cutting edge, then you're going to bleed."
Reading the Times last weekend was a curious exercise in juxtapositions. First, I read an article called “On Top of the Happiness Racket” about Gretchen Rubin’s book, “The Happiness Project.” Then I turned to the magazine section and found an article by Jonah Lehrer, entitled “Depression’s Upside.” The title of this essay was a quote…
Read MoreClearing out the mental/spiritual closet
Lent begins today, which is, in Christian tradition, the period leading up to Easter and is intended as a time of reflection, of going within to hear the small still voice, and to take stock of who we are, to face ourselves and not be afraid of our imperfections. On the Explore Faith website I…
Read MoreWhy some critics drive writers to a cabin in the woods
I’m fascinated by curious juxtapositions, which always get me thinking, and this week presented an intriguing one. First, and most sadly, J.D. Salinger passed away, a man as famous for hating being famous as he was for writing “The Catcher in the Rye.” Second, Martin Levin, Books Editor for The Globe and Mail, wrote an…
Read MoreThe Truth Has A Price
A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE GLOBE & MAIL: In the New York Times recently, there was a review of a new memoir which is probably going to cause some controversy — Julie Myerson’s Lost Child: A Mother’s Story. In case you missed the firestorm in England when this…
Read MoreWhen you want to give up
There comes a time when every writer wants to give up, to crumple those pages into tight little balls and toss ’em in the basket, or better yet — burn ’em. In fact, when I’m teaching I often tell students this in the first class, so they won’t be blindsided when it happens to them.…
Read MoreChaos vs Stillness – Writers' Habits
Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said “One must have chaos in oneself in order to give birth to a dancing star.” Well, that‘s a poetic and hopeful concept for those of us who come from chaotic backgrounds. However, I’m not convinced that the life of such a tumult-born star can be sustained and nurtured in the…
Read MoreWe don't do that here
Last week I was down in Trenton with an organization called People & Stories, a reading and discussion program that (according to their mission statement) “creates unique access to literature. Adults and young adults who have had limited opportunities to experience the power of literature work in small groups led by a trained coordinator. Participants…
Read MoreYou're wrong! I'm right!
I will not stand and fight all night. I will not shout, YOU’RE WRONG, I’M RIGHT! A few years ago, my Best Beloved and I had an argument. It was a real corker, a rip snorter. Tears were shed and doors were slammed and some very unhappy things were said. My Best Beloved had, some…
Read MoreThe writer is 'branded'
Publishers and agents will sometimes ask a writer about his or her branding. They want to know what the marketability of the writer is. What the backstory is. They want to know what the publicity angle will be for a book. And, more often than not, they want the writer to provide this information, if…
Read MoreMaking Peace with the Writer's Mind
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…
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