Write Not for Money or FameAs we navigate those debris-laden floodwaters, in an effort to reach the shores of publishing our words, consider the wisdom of Samuel...
A Poem Exists Not to Tell But to BeTeaching for a number years, I recall student complaints about the “difficulty” of poetry. “I don’t get it. What’s this supposed to be...
Entering a PoemThis is not a “how to” manual but an uncomplicated, oft-overlooked observation. I recall teaching students who were frustrated that they...
Sometimes There is Just One Line: Save that Journal!Writing every day is probably one of the best practices you can develop as a writer. Even if everything you wrote on one specific day...
Praise for Small BooksIn praise of small books with big hearts and minds, I have begun collecting novellas that alter the shape of the world by inches,...
James Baldwin, Ignorance Allied with Power, and the Importance of Poets and ChildrenIn the United States of America, we’re fortunate American powers—those pale, corporate men who believe in the almighty accumulation of...
In Defense of and Recommendation for the Long Novel ReadHow many times have you heard a reader remark, “If the book doesn’t grab me in the first few pages, I’m done?” Or the reader might state,...
Be InfluencedTall, about 6 foot 3 inches, he towered over display tables where he flipped books over casually to check out back covers and author...
Surrounded by Books; Not "Decluttering" LiteratureQuite often, people considering the eventuality or imminence of their deaths begin ridding themselves of possessions. They shed their...
A Writer's Secret to SuccessAlmost every writer starts out thinking that publishing her (his) book will define a successful career arc. Envy of published writers...