Author Archives: Samuel Snoek-Brown

Small stone #2

The shadow of a pigeon bobs across the rhombus of window-light on my bedroom floor, like a puppet playing for my amusement.  A cloud passes outside and the window-light fades until only my floor remains.  What happens, in such a moment, to the shadow-puppet bird? I’m participating in the River of Stones project in January.Continue reading “Small stone #2”

Small stone #1

It is just after midnight.  A new year.  Leaning out the window, I notice that the air in the alley smells the same as last year.  Looking up into the black sky, the fireworks diminished and the stars blotted blind by the city lights, I realize that this year will not feel real until theContinue reading “Small stone #1”

A Writer’s Notebook: a reading meme

Okay, this is perhaps cheating slightly, because a meme is hardly a writing exercise, right?  Except that it is.  I’ll explain more below, but for now, let’s call this a review of my influences. I should also preëmptively explain that this meme is made rather tricky because I have to qualify my answers: When itContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: a reading meme”

A Writer’s Notebook time-warp

Sorry gang!  I wrote my Writer’s Notebook post a day early and then forgot to post-date it, so you subscribers might have received a notice that the post was up and then couldn’t find it anymore.  I’m posting this just to you don’t get that annoying “Post not found” message.  Come back tomorrow for theContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook time-warp”

Writing the year away: My year in words and numbers

This year has been the first full calendar year that I’ve spent focused exclusively on writing. I’ve actually been doing this since summer 2009, and though I’ll still be exclusively writing in spring 2011, I’m anxious to get back into the classroom (I miss students and the intellectual discourse of academia!). But in terms ofContinue reading “Writing the year away: My year in words and numbers”

The end is near: Darin’s Bradley’s “Noise”

My friend Darin Bradley has had a very, very good year.  His debut novel, the apocalyptic Noise, has garnered a great deal of praise and recognition since its release early this fall, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all.  Now, at the end of the year, Noise is starting to turn upContinue reading “The end is near: Darin’s Bradley’s “Noise””

A Writer’s Notebook: a blank page

`Tis the season for lounging around in sweatpants and drinking cocoa, daydreaming about the looks on the faces of those we love when they open our gifts the next morning. Oh, and writing letters and e-mails to family and friends recapping the year, which is what I’ve been up to. Not exactly Writer’s Notebook  materialContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: a blank page”

Photo blog 34

“O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings…”* Christmas trees in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, December 2010. In case you’re curious, I also took a few vertical panoramic photos (the Dubai tree in particular is extremely tall!).  Here’s a separate gallery showing those taller photos: * The title of these photosContinue reading “Photo blog 34”