Have you read Caste by Isabel Wilkerson? I just put it down and I want to re-read it. I want to better understand exactly how she did it. Not only is it brilliantly argued, deeply researched and beautifully written — it’s transformative. Homeopathic, almost, in its delivery. Maybe it’s the way Wilkerson oscillates between clinical reporting and intimate, vivid scenes from her own life, the lives of historical figures, and the lives of people around the… [Read More]
All my stuff is dented.
I frequently drop my water bottle. The metal is dinged, scratched, and dented. My phone has a heavy duty case for the same reason. The screen’s a little cracked but it still takes a gorgeous photo. These things are not indestructible. They’re resilient. Not because you can’t see where they’ve fallen. They’re resilient because they can handle a lot of drops. It’s the same way with writers who are still in it after all these… [Read More]
Passion doesn’t have to be big and bombastic.
It’s just one way we describe feeling alive. And different people feel alive in different ways. Writers know this, because we cultivate observation. We practice empathy through characterization. Sometimes, because we’re paying such close attention to our stories, characters, and scenes, we might forget just how passionate we are. And… that writing makes us feel alive. This week I spoke to my friend Carrie Klassen about writing, aliveness, and ordinary citizen activism. She embodies passion:… [Read More]
Romance & erotica for your pleasure.
When I look at my fully stocked bookshelf I have to admit: it lacks… spice. I’ve fallen prey to the stigma. The cultural reinforcement that prompts brilliant authors to publish their steamy stories under pen names. Somehow, somewhere, I learned that “serious literary people” just don’t go there in writing. Or even to read. Come on! Romance sails ships! Take Bridgerton, originally a widely popular book series. Eventually Netflix’s biggest hit ever, according to Vanity… [Read More]
What feels most alive in me.
Strong feelings that move us to create, act, and give — they exist in the here and now. And yet so often we defer our pleasure for later. We project it onto a future vision and often at our present selves’ expense. (Elizabeth Gilbert and Gianpiero Petriglieri have been feeding my understanding.) Writers do this. The pressure I put on myself to revise my novel this year was stifling all the projects and concoctions and… [Read More]
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