The last six months of my life have been turmoil. They've also been weirdly productive. And I don't mean productive the the corporate American work ethos sense of the word, but in the sense that things were flowing, and I handled what I had to handle, and I was fairly calm the entire time. You … Continue reading Post-liminality
Tag: Writing
“Kill what you can’t save”
I'm a long time admirer of Margaret Atwood and her work, but I'm not as familiar with her early poetry, which I've only recently begun to delve into. Atwood the author behind The Handmaid's Tale, which was initially thought to be a dystopian novel but is actually a prophetic look into future of the U.S. … Continue reading “Kill what you can’t save”
Resistance through representation
As I troll through my various islands of internet camaraderie and outrage, I'm seeing the word "resistance" a lot. There is certainly a spewing plethora of negative impulses and cruelty and just plain stupidity out there that needs to be resisted in various ways. Through the ages, writers and artists of various kinds have done … Continue reading Resistance through representation
Art is resistance
Backstories for girls and women in stories that *don’t* involve sexual assault.
I beta read a lot, and am involved in writing communities of various kinds, and I briefly taught English way back in the day, and I consume much storytelling media in general - and one of my biggest pet peeves is sexual assault backstories. While I think this is improving, it’s still annoying to me … Continue reading Backstories for girls and women in stories that *don’t* involve sexual assault.
Appetence
Defined as intense desire, strong appetite, a craving or an inclination. Appetence is the story of an awakening, a discovery, and a loss. One of its poems will be published in a literary journal in October. Currently revising the draft for submission. This narrative came out quickly and tore things up along the way. It's … Continue reading Appetence
Personal folklore
I never met one of my sets of grandparents - they both died in the decade before I was born. My grandmother went first, though she was apparently stubborn about it, and the family tradition has it that my grandfather died of a broken heart. His death certificate claims it was kidney failure, but according … Continue reading Personal folklore
“Every fear contains a wish”
I didn't come up with this particular aphorism. I got this from author Steve Almond (who has a new book out on the writing process called Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow which everyone should absolutely read). He recently came to the writing program I'm in to push us on how to make … Continue reading “Every fear contains a wish”
I know why agents keep rejecting you
Having trouble getting published?
Four Word Confessions (Writing Prompt)
There's a thing I do in my private journal - small confessions. I pick a number, usually between 4 and 10, and write out whatever comes into my head. They're usually on the simple side - I don't aim for earth-shattering prose, just for honesty in the moment. I go quickly. I don't think about … Continue reading Four Word Confessions (Writing Prompt)
Notes in the Margins 