I love Anton Chekhov. His sense of story rooted in character and culture has long held me spellbound, and I hold him as an unreachable ideal for what the best of short fiction can look like. He also had some terrific writing advice, probably the most famous of which was in favor of necessity in the details: “RemoveContinue reading “Setting aside Chekhov’s gun”
Tag Archives: nonviolence
#Je suis Charlie
(Premièrement, s’il vous plaît excuser la maladresse de mon français. Mon français est tellement rouillée c’est décrépit, et oui, j’ai complété mes compétences linguistiques pauvres avec Google.) Comme beaucoup de gens — en particulier de nombreux artistes et écrivains et autres créateurs dans le monde — j’ai fait beaucoup d’introspection aujourd’hui. Pour les peu deContinue reading “#Je suis Charlie”
Zen and the art of brutality; or, How can a Buddhist write such violence?
A lot of people read my fiction and tell me something like, “Wait. I thought you were Buddhist?” Even friends are sometimes surprised that I am (by intention if not always by action) so committed to compassion and nonviolence and the pursuit of enlightenment, yet I write such cruel characters, such violent events, such aContinue reading “Zen and the art of brutality; or, How can a Buddhist write such violence?”
Thirteen years ago today
I was driving a two-hour commute to teach a college class. I listened to the news on the radio. At one point I had to pull over on the side of the road just to catch my breath. Later, I passed others who had done the same. When I got to school, I spent halfContinue reading “Thirteen years ago today”
#Haikus4Sundiata
Today is Haikus for Sundiata Acoli day. The event, organized by Portland poet Walidah Imarisha and launched by the Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign, is a public literary activism movement to honor Sundiata Acoli and call for his release from prison. Acoli is a political prisoner, hounded by police for his membership in the Black Panther Party in the ’60s and ’70s (Sundiata’sContinue reading “#Haikus4Sundiata”
Eleven years ago today (and also a Tuesday)…
I was driving a two-hour commute to teach a college class. I listened to the news on the radio. At one point I had to pull over on the side of the road just to catch my breath. Later, I passed others who had done the same. When I got to school, I spent halfContinue reading “Eleven years ago today (and also a Tuesday)…”
Ten years ago today…
I was driving a two-hour commute to teach a college class. I listened to the news on the radio. At one point I had to pull over on the side of the road just to catch my breath. Later, I passed others who had done the same. When I got to school, I spent halfContinue reading “Ten years ago today…”
Photo blog 46
I’m posting this heart to represent the fragility of my heart as I watch the news this week, and to represent the huge sense of compassion I feel for all sentient beings all over the planet but, this week, especially for the people of Bahrain, Libya, and Japan. Please be safe, please be peaceful,Continue reading “Photo blog 46”
American History WI
This is for all my friends and former colleagues in Wisconsin, who are making American history as we speak. America’s children will study these weeks in their US history and US government classes. These people in the streets these past few weeks — my friends — are our heroes, and our future generations will celebrateContinue reading “American History WI”
A Writer’s Notebook on hold today
Sorry, gang, but there won’t be a Writer’s Notebook post this week. I was all set to work on it this evening, but I had the news on in the background, and suddenly, with no fanfare and almost faster than I could notice, Omar Suleiman went on Egyptian television and announced that Hosni Mubarak hasContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook on hold today”
Samuel Snoek-Brown 