Yes, what you’re looking at is a photo of two books, both by Jesse Lee Kercheval, that arrived in my mail today. And they weren’t in an Amazon box — they were in a thick manila envelope with my name and address handwritten by Kercheval herself. How, you ask? It pays to engage the writingContinue reading “Jesse Lee Kercheval sent me mail”
Tag Archives: writing
All’s fair in love and literature
Well, the voting is over, gang, and I didn’t win. Which is okay. I didn’t really stand a chance in this. For one thing, I got on the voting bandwagon a full week after it started and just a couple of days before it ended, so the other stories had the jump on me. ForContinue reading “All’s fair in love and literature”
Fictional election (no, this isn’t about politics)
Hey, gang. I know, two posts in one day. But I need my readers’ help for two seconds: Now that it’s the end of September, the excellent Bartleby Snopes is preparing to select their Story of the Month — and you get to vote for the winner! And since my story “Lightning My Pilot” appearedContinue reading “Fictional election (no, this isn’t about politics)”
I appreciate my readers — they appreciate me right back!
Seriously, I love the heck out of anyone cool enough to sit down and read my blog. People who read regularly — especially people who subscribe? They rock my world! People who actually engage and leave comments? Man oh man: I want to buy them all big boxes of chocolate. And then there’s EJ Runyon.Continue reading “I appreciate my readers — they appreciate me right back!”
A Writer’s Notebook: wing walkers
This happened a bit by accident. But I’ll explain below. I get all sorts of pilots coming in on the little grass airstrip out on my farm: crop-dusters, helicopters, daytrippers coming in from the next state, on their way south or north like migrating birds. But the other day I had an honest-to-god biplane roarContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: wing walkers”
A Writer’s Notebook: yearbook memories
I don’t know what this is or where it would ever go. But it felt good to write. In my 8th-grade yearbook, on the inside covers where people are supposed to leave their indelible wisdom for the ages alongside their silly doodles and autographs, there is a fantastically artistic signature from Shanna J. She claimedContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: yearbook memories”
A Writer’s Notebook: an old poem
This is an old poem. I’m still not happy with it. In retyping it here, I’ve made some small changes. Always tinkering. Sunrise. A cold wind moves only the surface of this pond. Down in that quiet, muddy mass, small fish doze while above, a blue heron stalks through the waters, more tai chi thanContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: an old poem”
New publication
I am so, SO happy to share my story “Lightning My Pilot” with you now that it’s up at Bartleby Snopes today. It’s easily the happiest, most pleasant story I’ve ever written. Like, my mom loves this story. It’s that pleasant. But I love it, too — it’s definitely up on my top five listContinue reading “New publication”
A Writer’s Notebook: photo story
Long-time readers: by now, you should know the drill. Here’s a photo. Below there’s a draft of something. And then I explain it all. Outside, on the driveway, the dozen black garbage bags stacked up against the siding are beginning to stink. Inside, the bleach is reacting with the glue in the particle board andContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: photo story”
A Writer’s Notebook: response to Junichiro Tanizaki’s “In Praise of Shadows”
This is an old crib from a class assignment. I was in grad school taking a creative nonfiction workshop (which, this fall, I will be teaching myself, so hey, progress!), and I’d missed a day. (I forget why.) To make up for the missed class discussion, I had to write this response to an essay,Continue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: response to Junichiro Tanizaki’s “In Praise of Shadows””
Samuel Snoek-Brown 