Just wanted to let folks know about a couple of upcoming reading events I’m involved in. [UPDATE: The William Stafford reading was originally Monday night, but it’s been rescheduled for Wednesday. I’ve edited this post to reflect that change.] For the first event, on Tuesday, January 13, I’ll be hosting a reading full of SouthernContinue reading “Upcoming events: William Stafford and Ex-Southerners”
Author Archives: Samuel Snoek-Brown
Chapbook interviews!
This is a fun surprise! Just before the holidays, I did an interview with the chapbook and novella website Speaking of Marvels, and today that interview went live. I love Speaking of Marvels, by the way. I only recently started reading them — my publisher, sunnyoutside press, sent them my direction — but we needContinue reading “Chapbook interviews!”
Booklist 2014
It’s time again, gang, for my annual reading list. This year’s been quite light, actually — I felt like I’d read quite a bit, but turns out I managed just under 60 books. Does it count that I reread my own novel something like seven times in revisions before it came out in August? My summer months were slowest, whichContinue reading “Booklist 2014”
2014 in review
Yeah, WordPress did that “Year in Review” thing for me. And yay, stats and numbers and math and that tired old Sydney Opera House comparison. The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 17,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, itContinue reading “2014 in review”
Why I teach writing
One of my students from this past fall emailed me over the break and asked me a question: What is your favorite thing about teaching writing classes? I love this question, especially as I’m in the midst of (re)designing my winter syllabi, because it makes me stop and think about what I’m really after, whyContinue reading “Why I teach writing”
How a writing retreat becomes a writing life
Writing is work. And I’ve been working damned hard for a long time to realize that. I mean that verb, realize, in the transitive sense: to bring into being, to make this my reality. So it’s always a bit artificial, really, to go on a “writing retreat,” because that makes it seem that I’m withdrawing from theContinue reading “How a writing retreat becomes a writing life”
A Hagridden Christmas village?
My wife called this “an odd sort of Christmas village.” Back in March 2013, when I was in Louisiana on my research trip (thanks again to the Literary Arts and the Oregon Literary Fellowship that made that possible), I spent some time touring historic villages to get a sense of the buildings and town lifeContinue reading “A Hagridden Christmas village?”
The first short story I ever wrote
I was in ninth grade. I was taking home-ec because I wanted to learn to cook, but we weren’t always in the kitchens — often, our class sat in desks and did bookwork, which I tended to get through quickly. So home-ec soon became my daydreaming time, and so I could look busy, I took toContinue reading “The first short story I ever wrote”
Winter writing retreat, day 9
Okay, so I haven’t actually done a lot of writing today. I certainly intended to, but this morning I got an email notice that some books I’d put on hold at the library had arrived, so I went to pick them up and they’re an absolute TROVE! So it’s been more of a “reading retreat.”Continue reading “Winter writing retreat, day 9”
Winter writing retreat, day 8
Today is going to be another late-writing day. Which is fine — there’s a reason my mother cross-stitched this for me a few years ago: So I’m up for it. But I’m running late because today has been an on-again/off-again writing day, not much of a “retreat” at all. I’m off the novel at the moment,Continue reading “Winter writing retreat, day 8”
Samuel Snoek-Brown 