This morning, a young man went to the campus of Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, walked into a writing classroom, and opened fire. As I write this, the most common reports are that twenty people are wounded, and thirteen people are dead, including the writing teacher. I teach at Chemeketa Community College; today, IContinue reading “We are Umpqua Community College”
Author Archives: Samuel Snoek-Brown
On teaching writing, and teaching, and writing
I know a few teaching writers — a lot, if I’m honest — who have often bemoaned their composition courses. They understand the necessity of composition courses and don’t mind teaching them from time to time, but (these writers sometimes confess to me) they would much rather be teaching advanced literature or creative writing. I don’t blame them.Continue reading “On teaching writing, and teaching, and writing”
When to break a chapter
Yesterday morning, over on my Facebook page, I got an interesting question from my first, longest-time fan (hi, Mom!). I’d been commenting on Facebook the past few days about the progress I’ve been making on my new novel and, in the space of two posts and a comment, I had declared that I’d finished a chapter after addingContinue reading “When to break a chapter”
More on the poet who should never have been named
Yesterday, I posted about the Best American Poetry 2015 controversy, and in the comments, writer N. E. White (also a pseudonym, but one legitimately used) asked a smart question: When I submit my work anywhere [under a pseudonym], I include my real name on the submission. I thought that was pretty standard practice. Is thatContinue reading “More on the poet who should never have been named”
A suggestion for Sherman Alexie and the Best American series (and publishers in general)
For those unfamiliar with the controversy, here is a short recap, as I understand it: In the 2015 edition of the Best American Poetry anthology, this year’s editor, Sherman Alexie, unwittingly included a poem by “Yi-Fen Chou,” a person whose name I put in quotes because he doesn’t exist — “Yi-Fen Chou” is, in fact, a penContinue reading “A suggestion for Sherman Alexie and the Best American series (and publishers in general)”
It’s a surreal September for the Jersey Devil
The heat must have gotten to us. Because as Jersey Devil Press leaves summer behind and ushers in fall, we’ve started getting a little . . . weird. And this is Jersey Devil Press, so that’s saying something! But it’s a wistful, surreal kind of weird, with monster bees that seem perfectly peaceful, a woman aloneContinue reading “It’s a surreal September for the Jersey Devil”
The “rules” of reading: Neil Gaiman, Hagridden, and age appropriateness
Yesterday, on my Facebook page, I revealed that my eight-year-old niece had taken my books to school because her class is discussing what and why authors write. She thought it would be cool to share with her classmates that her uncle is a published author, even though, as my sister put it, my fiction isContinue reading “The “rules” of reading: Neil Gaiman, Hagridden, and age appropriateness”
Ellen Urbani celebrates Landfall at Powell’s, and a bunch of Portland writers hug each other
Last night, I attended the Portland celebration of Ellen Urbani‘s new novel, Landfall, at the Powell’s downtown. Ellen has been getting a lot of much-deserved positive attention for this beautiful, important novel (full disclosure: I blurbed it, but only because I loved it so much), so I knew the turnout would be big, and whenContinue reading “Ellen Urbani celebrates Landfall at Powell’s, and a bunch of Portland writers hug each other”
My literary tshirts
Earlier this week, my teenage nephew sent me a tshirt that has become — immediately upon its removal from the padded envelope — one of my favorite tshirts: Metaphors I mean seriously, how amazing is that? (It’s available from JC Penny if you want one of your own.) But it got me thinking about some of my otherContinue reading “My literary tshirts”
Hagridden at one year: the reading copy
While I was preparing to read from Hagridden on the novel’s first birthday this past August 19, my wife was thinking about my reading copy of Hagridden, worn and fringed with multicolored note tabs, and she suggested I share that copy of the novel with you. Which I thought was a wonderful idea! So here is myContinue reading “Hagridden at one year: the reading copy”
Samuel Snoek-Brown 