Drawing out the Truth: Creative Nonfiction as Comic
In Syncopated: an Anthology of Nonfiction Picto-Essays (Villard, 2009), editor Brendan Burford seeks to expand the dialogue that works like Maus have begun. Within this large-format collection, Burford has assembled an ambitious collection of comics-as-essay ranging from personal narrative, to biography, to literary journalism and more.
We Whose Futures Rest on 150 Words
The amateur novelist takes on the attributes of a salesman, going door to proverbial door in the vast cruel market of the publishing industry. Today’s episode: perfecting the plot hook.
Literary Scraps for the Overburdened Reader
Roland Barthes on writing; why writers abandon novels; the importance of rhythm in prose; a new set of rules for writers; and the continuing adventures of the late David Foster Wallace.
i love your shoes
the self-abnegation, i mean. it's good for you. taken in equal doses with actual reading, it's probably like boiled kale served with boiled chicken: tasteless; useful.
Sexism in Publishing: It’s About More Than Just Numbers
Ladies and gentlemen, there’s a tangible wave sweeping through publishing. Dare I say, it’s a veritable movement.
Defining Narrative Arc
Normally, in workshop, I am quick to share definitions and advice... But on this question—“What is narrative arc?” I found myself unusually hesitant.
The 100 Most Beautiful Words in English: A Linguist’s Quaint Passion
It’s one of those concepts that has driven men and women to compose treatises in verse, drink themselves comatose, start fights, and maybe even die young. Unfortunately we have nothing to show for it.
year of the dozen goatees
I grow a full beard; I shave it down to a goatee; I shave the goatee. This I will do twelve times.
How Amazon Hurts Readers
Amazon may on its surface appear diverse, comprehensive and democratic in its wide array of offerings. Yet its danger lies in its monopolization of the power over what so many read.
The Long Overdue Literary Update
In the news: a bankrupt literary giant; the lost art of editing; Nabokov on butterflies; the first annual Good Sex Awards; the antithetical nature of MFA programs; and the dreaded reader's block.
Death with Interruptions: A Glimpse of the Literary Philosopher