“How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book.” ~Henry David Thoreau, Walden Yesterday, I was reading a blog post from Annalemma that came through my RSS feed, and the author, Chris, was discussing his year in books. Chris had set a goal earlier in theContinue reading “Reading an era”
Category Archives: reading
A Writer’s Notebook: NaNoWriMo update #4
So, as promised, I’ve been tinkering a bit with the book since I returned from vacation, even adding some new scenes, but I haven’t updated the word count because most of the new text is still in my voice recorder and most of the changes have been internal, meaning that part of the word countContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: NaNoWriMo update #4”
Nancy Drew short story contest
I am proud to say that I am a HUGE fan of Her Interactive‘s Nancy Drew video game series. (I’m slightly less proud to admit that I actually dreamed about the games last night–seriously.) I confess I’ve never read any of the traditional books, though I have read the first half dozen or so ofContinue reading “Nancy Drew short story contest”
A Writer’s Notebook: Found poem (from Nizar Qabbani)
I’m in Dubai this weekend, visiting friends. Yesterday, I spent part of my day on the Dubai campus of Zayed University, where, in a hallway leading to the campus library, I found a row of large, framed prints, each bearing–in Arabic and in English–lines of poetry. The lines all come from existing poetry, but theyContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: Found poem (from Nizar Qabbani)”
15 Authors (and then some)
There’s a meme going around Facebook (and probably elsewhere) in which we are invited to name 15 influential authors in 15 minutes. It reads like this: The Rules: Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen authors (poets included) who’ve influenced you and that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen youContinue reading “15 Authors (and then some)”
Photo blog 25
I didn’t take this photo–my mother did. I’m actually in this photo–I’m Charlie Chaplin. My brother, Jon Snoek, is the Ghostbuster (I made his ghost-trapping “backpack” for him), and my sister, Sara Snoek, is an angel. I think the year was 1987, but don’t quote me on that. I decided to post itContinue reading “Photo blog 25”
Vonnegut at the blackboard
I was so glad to see Ampersand Review link to this article in Lapham’s Quarterly: I had to profound good fortune to see Kurt Vonnegut give this same lecture at Trinity University in San Antonio back in, oh, 1995? 1996? I forget the date, but I will never forget this lecture, in which Vonnegut explainsContinue reading “Vonnegut at the blackboard”
Banned Books Week
This week is Banned Books Week, which I whole-heartedly support. Why? Mostly because of its founder, the late Judith Krug. I met her once. My wife worked with her. She was phenomenal. I was a fan of Banned Books Week long before I met Judith Krug, but having met her, I am devoted to itContinue reading “Banned Books Week”
Last lines
We writers pay a lot of attention to first lines. They’re supremely important — for the reader, they are the opening impression, the first glimpse not only at the story but also at the style of the story and even (dare I say it in this age of modern criticism) at the author. For theContinue reading “Last lines”
New fiction by David Maizenberg
A long time ago, I accidentally found an amazing little collection of short stories that felt unlike anything I’d read before–and in the best possible way. The book was Invitations to a Bridge Burning, by David Maizenberg, and they profoundly changed the way I think about fiction. I had by that time been through enoughContinue reading “New fiction by David Maizenberg”
Samuel Snoek-Brown 