The 10 ladies in my book club collectively nominated 22 books for our reading list this year. Here’s what we voted in: “White Teeth” by Zadie Smith “Big Girls Don’t Cry: The Election That Changed Everything for American Women” by Rebecca Traister “Room” by Emma Donoghue “The Furnace of Affliction” by Jennifer Graber “Number the […]
I’m a Writer. Any questions?
I surprised myself last weekend. I met someone new who asked what I did, and I said, with no hesitation, “I’m a writer.” She said “Wow!” and our conversation continued down other paths. Normally, there would be follow-up questions, such as: “Who do you write for? What do you write? Might I have read any […]
What Makes the Perfect Book Club Pick?
I’ve recently taken over as secretary of my book club and am in the process of gathering recommendations for our 2011 reading list. We’ll have a meeting soon to vote on our picks, but the list will be small this year, only five books. We’ll supplement with interesting articles from the New Yorker, Atlantic, etc. for […]
Please Don’t Call Me Pete
I’ve just been to a baby shower, which has me thinking of names. The mom-to-be knows she’s having a girl and knows the name, but isn’t telling anyone for fear of getting “the look.” Any parents out there know what I’m talking about. It’s the raised-eyebrow look that says, “Are you nuts?” But, once that […]
Don’t Buy Me Roses
I’m a cheap date. I don’t expect anything for V-day. When I see a big, glass vase full of red roses, I think two thoughts: 1) these things are absolutely doused in pesticides 2) how much of our grocery money did you piss away on this? I love chocolates, but considering I’m trying to lose […]
1″ Picture Frame
I haven’t been blogging much lately because I’ve been knee-deep in revisions to my novel. Blogging is something I’ve been doing while procrastinating from the real work, and since I’ve found my momentum on the real work, other things (family, friends, basic hygiene) have taken a back seat. But today, I ran right up against a […]
Genre Shmonra: Read Everything
Regarding my latest novel revision, I’ve been asked by the agent I’m working with to put more “anger and anguish” on the page, and so I spent some time browsing my book shelves looking for inspiration, and I came up empty. The thing is, I read literary fiction. I write literary fiction (at least I […]
Get Out of Town!
Every year around Halloween, I get nostalgic for the month I spent at the Vermont Studio Center, an artist colony nestled in the Green Mountain range of Johnson, VT. I was there from late October to late November about five years ago. Joining me were 70+ artists from all over the country and a good […]