The Magic Hour
Posted on March 9, 2012 in Blog, Books, Traveling, Writing
Authors have mixed feelings about reviews. A good one can make you feel as if you’re on top of the world. A bad one ruins your day. At least, that’s how it is when you’re starting out and trying to build a career. When you’ve been around for awhile—in other words, if you’re an old [...]
Blowin’ In The Wind
Posted on February 23, 2012 in Books, Reading, Traveling, Writing
Something happened to me today that made me shiver. Every now and then I’ll get a postcard from the universe; a subtle hint of where things are going. I didn’t like this one at all. I just got back from Florida a few days ago. I leave for a school visit in Istanbul in less [...]
H-i-s-s-s-s-s!
Posted on February 9, 2012 in Blog, Books, Writing
Those of you who have been following my blog for a few years may remember my postings about a book I was writing. At the time the book was called Omar’s Snake or The Snake. I forget which came first. I’m terrible at titles. The title is usually the last thing I think of. I [...]
All Things Must Pass
Posted on January 29, 2012 in Motivation
I read an article in this Sunday’s NY Times about a glitch at Vassar’s admissions website. Here’s the LINK if you’d like to read it yourself. Apparently, acceptance notices were posted online. Students could visit the website to find out if they had been admitted. Back in my day they sent you a letter. You [...]
Washed!
Posted on January 16, 2012 in Books, Reading
I love reading about words. They have such interesting histories. I had an experience like that last week. I was reading an article in the New York Times about two women who had an altercation in a McDonalds. It was a rather sleazy, forgettable story, except that something in the article caught my eye. One [...]
When Elephants Fly
Posted on January 10, 2012 in Books, Writing
I make it a point to read Thomas Friedman’s columns in the New York Times. He always has thought-provoking comments about technology and politics, especially relating to the Middle East This Sunday his column was especially interesting. Its title was Watching Elephants Fly. Here’s the link. It’s worth reading. Friedman begins his discussion of the [...]
I’m Back!
Posted on January 3, 2012 in Writing
Happy New Year to all my friends! I have to apologize for not posting for far too long. First I was traveling. Then the holidays hit. Then I got sick. A bad case of bronchitis laid me low for two weeks. Needless to say, I got nothing done for the holidays. But now I’m back. [...]
When It’s Happening
Posted on November 17, 2011 in Motivation, Writing
I’ve noticed a funny thing about writing over the years. When you’re stuck and find yourself with no idea of what you’re writing or what you’re supposed to be doing, you can always find dozens of excuses for not writing anything. You have to go shopping; you have to run a wash; you have to [...]
Let’s Read!
Posted on November 8, 2011 in Motivation, Reading
An Imaginary Conversation: Author: Let’s read! Books are wonderful. Read together with your family every evening! Child: My parents don’t read. We don’t have any books in our house. Author: That’s no problem. Your school library has plenty of good books that you can check out and read. Your school librarian will be happy to [...]
Interesting!
Posted on November 3, 2011 in Books, Writing
I just caught a whiff of something significant blowing in the wind. Amazon announced that it’s starting a lending library. I’ll have to research this further. So far, this is what I’m getting from what I’ve read online. If you’re a member of Amazon Prime, you’ll be able to download ebooks to your Kindle or [...]