A bit of time yesterday morning was spent reading this interview with Ann Patchett on LitHub. Patchett’s Bel Canto hooked me with how complex it is in its simplicity, and her essays are some of the best I’ve ever read. She’s so understated — and perhaps because of that, she’s massive. Next month, Patchett’s next […]
Archives for August 2016
Remembering the Right Paths
One of the most difficult things I found to do during my first forays into social media breaks was rewiring the pathways in my brain during quiet moments at work and in life. Get up to make tea at work and check email, social media feeds, and things like that while tea steeps. Picking up […]
Change is in the Air
We will see more 100-degree days in Texas, no matter how many people say, “The hot weather’s done for the year!” while looking at thermometers reading 97 degrees. But it is that time of year when things seem to change. I suppose the biggest change for me is, after four years with the big department […]
Wading In
Growing up in northern Illinois, I was never far from a lake. I could stand on the shore and guess what I’d feel stepping into the water: slimy tree branches, rocks, and fish. After stepping on glass a couple times, I added glass to that list. Later: fishhooks, rope, and plants waiting to wrap around […]
The August Hush
My friend Tom Wideman dubbed it the September Silence…at least I think that’s how it got its name. It’s that time of the year when I log out of all social media (not just Facebook) for a month. (And yes, I realize it’s not yet September. And…I may stay away longer…dunno if I’ll beat the […]
Of Ups and Downs
My wife and I don’t watch much television…at least in a traditional sense. Oh, sure — yesterday it was cloudy (and not a bazillion-and-seventy-two degrees outside), and we wanted to watch something soothing. We ended up watching a few episodes of Ask This Old House. A couple weekends ago, we consumed Stranger Things in two […]
The Importance of the Inbetween
One of the first things I read this morning was this Greg Ruth post on the Muddy Colors blog. A self-professed workaholic writing about realizing how important the unseen work that happens when we’re not “working” is a great way to begin a busy day. It’s often during those inbetween moments that some of the […]
Finding Your Way In The Dark
I’ve met many people who talk about the stories they want to write, but never actually write them. And why not? Once you’ve regaled a group with your brilliant ideas fleshed out enough to something with a vague structure, the satisfaction of telling a story is there. (Why spend years writing a novel when you […]