Recently, my friend Anna asked me to review an anthology which included an essay of hers. It is important to note that I take book reviewing seriously, especially when I'm allowed more than 140 characters in which to share my opinion. Remember that I am part of this book's target…
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All posts tagged Writing
Reading Nafisi in Breuil Cervinia
I write in the margins and on the blank pages of books authored by other writers. It's a habit. When I happen upon those scribblings later, it's always a treat. The following is an essay I penned on a trip to Northern Italy in 2009. All summer long I'd been…
Litteraturhuset Series: Jennifer Egan
American author Jennifer Egan drew a sellout crowd to Oslo's Litteraturhuset on Wednesday night. Organizers had to set out extra rows of chairs on the floor of the main theater to accommodate Egan's fans. The room was warm, thick with anticipation and the rumble of low voices. My friend, Zoë,…
Litteraturhuset Series: Anna Funder
On a gray Wednesday evening in April, I walked to Oslo's Litteraturhuset under the red blossom of my umbrella. I was on my way to see Australian author Anna Funder talk about her debut novel, All That I Am . Cars splashed murky water from the gutters up onto the sidewalk.…
Litteraturhuset Series: Ali Smith
I was fortunate to be able to see Ali Smith interviewed at Oslo's Litteraturhuset earlier this month. I've been a fan of Smith's work since I happened to pick up a well-thumbed copy of The Whole Story and Other Stories at a used bookstore in Davis, California several years ago.…
A Few of my Favorite Words
Propinquity - A nearness of blood, kinship; a nearness in place or time, proximity. Serendipity - The phenomenon of finding a valuable thing not originally sought. Wheelbarrow - A small single-wheeled vehicle fitted with handles at the rear by which it can be pushed and guided. Scapula - The shoulder…
Meet My Mind
Thoughts while revising and piecing together my thesis: - Holy god. I wrote this? I'm a genius. - Bored. No one else wants to know this much about my life. Non-fiction is a scam. - I won't ever write anything this beautiful again. - Overwrought? Really, Alex? Oh wait. She's…
Procrastination
I've been writing every day. That's what you're supposed to do when you're a writer. Everyone says so. Annie Dillard, Stephen King, Pam Houston, Lynn Freed, Michael Chabon, Flannery O'Connor. These are people I listen to. And I always thought taking that kind of intentional step in my writing would…