Writing is Cake

In “Self-Reliance” Ralph Waldo Emerson advised his readers not to get stuck in a rut. His advice? To force yourself out of your comfort zone because to his way of thinking one couldn’t possibly learn about himself unless faced with an uncomfortable situation.
I find that this applies to writing as well as life. Those familiar [...]

One of the tasks I face as a high school English teacher is helping my students learn to read a text both critically and analytically.  There are numerous ways to do this, of course, but a method that I have found to be particularly effective is approaching stories from an archetypal perspective.  An archetype is [...]

The ‘Illiad’. The most classical of classics. An epic in every sense of the word. And best of all, no copyright. Nobody owns rights to this thing! Let’s make a movie!
Troy: (some guy named) Homer, David Benioff
I got into Greek myths at an early age. I don’t know [...]

This will be my last post on this blog.  I could not be any happier than I am at this moment.  This weekend brought news that was fervently hoped for and joyously recieved.  I have received a full grant from the prestigious Stiershiessen Fellowship for Brilliance in Writing. 
That’s right, chumps!  The full ride!  A two hundred thousand dollar award [...]

Unfortunately, that dimension exists only in my head. Damn I wish I could write like that man. Even as a woman subject to hormonal whims I wish I could write like him. I have pen envy I guess. Let’s face it, he doesn’t waste one word. Not one comma is misplaced. Every word, every punctuation [...]