The Farmers’ Market that never Happened (But is the Reason You’re Reading This Right Now)
Since I have a whole timeline of writerly tasks I’m bound and determined to complete this summer, I did what any other obsessive planner would do and worked backward. Paramount was launching this website. But to make sure I’d stick to that goal, I contacted my local farmers’ market about getting a booth. What does a website have to do with sourdough bread, goat’s milk soap, and fresh berries, one might ask? Nothing, directly and everything motivationally.
Interview with Author Karen Novak, part 1
Bipolar disorder and creativity can travel together. I'm interested in the connection between the two. Does one precede the other? Is one the outcome of the other? Bipolar is not synonymous with intelligence and creativity. It's not an if-then situation. But there's enough of a both-and pattern there to suggest that the two are somehow linked on some level. Creativity interests me more than having bipolar disorder. The human mind interests me, and watching other people work, learning their processes, I find that fascinating.
Notes from a barf bag
Next to me, a remarkably slim 20-something is taking up all her seat and 50% of mine, a feat she manages while munching donut holes and watching Gillmore Girls on her laptop. It’s mystifying but rather than comment on her wildly swinging legs and arms that keep bumping me, I make my lg/xl frame as small as possible, smashing myself against the plane wall like I’m drywall putty. Oh, for paper! How’d I’d eviscerate her in fiction!
Cute dog pics
Finish this sentence: behind every writer/author is ____
THEIR FUR BABY! (Yes, yes, partners and and friends and families and agents and editors and mail carriers and Grub Hub drivers. Our undying thanks to all of you.) But in my case, and for the sake of this blog, it’s Oscar, my six-year-old Beagle. This chubby hound is an obstinate, headstrong fellow with a penchant for human food, including excellent boiled potatoes.
Counting, a poem
It took the encouragement and gentle correction of my writing circle for me to realize that an active and vibrant writer’s life is comprised of more than idea generation and fingers at a keyboard. Writing, for those who choose to take it seriously, is a holistic practice…and it all counts.
The Menu: A Culinary-inspired alternative to the 5-star book rating system
We all know that reviews are subjective, and opinions over what constitutes a ‘good’ or ‘bad book’ differ widely. And what exactly does ‘quality’ writing mean? How many books have we, regardless of our individual preferences, missed out on? And to what extent have authors success been curtailed, or bolstered because of idiomatic evaluation? So why then, do readers continue to use an ineffective and potentially deleterious system?
