Columns

Celebrating Kafka: 5 "Kafkaesque" Scenes in Books & Films

August 3rd, 2018

In the ninth episode of Breaking Bad’s third season, a therapist tells Jesse Pinkman that Jesse’s situation is “Kafkaesque.” Poor Jesse agrees, saying that it’s “totally Kafkaesque” — even though he obviously has no idea what the therapist is talking about.

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Teaching My First Writing Class

August 3rd, 2018

There was a time when I thought I would never teach a writing class. It was about 7 years ago, and I had just finished my MA in creative writing. I was nowhere near close to having my manuscript ready for publication and feared I'd gotten a useless degree. I told myself that if I wasn't able to get my own work published I wouldn't be able to help anyone else with theirs. But learning to write isn’t just sitting in a classroom or joining an online group; sometimes it can be hanging out at a diner with another writer.

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10 Tips to Help You Write Believable Dialogue

August 2nd, 2018

I think dialogue can make or break a novel. If a narrative has a decent plot, but the characters all sound the same or the author gives someone a six-page soliloquy in a vain attempt at disguising an info dump, I start to tune out. Similarly, sometimes I’m reading a novella with a somewhat pedestrian storyline, but then the dialogue kicks in and it crackles, makes me laugh, and allows me to get to know the characters better. When that happens, the book is saved, somehow redeemed in my eyes, and I start recommending it.

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Why Nobody Gives A Crap About Books In The Summer

August 1st, 2018

Is it just me, or do the rest of you feel like there’s a summertime slump when it comes to reading? Just this...dispassionate feeling about books that comes around every May and sticks around into September? It’s not like you have to think that hard to come up with reasons why reading might take a backseat in summer. Summer is the most popular time to:

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10 of Our Favorite Moments From the Harry Potter Series

July 31st, 2018

July is a big month for fans of the Harry Potter series: July 31st is both J.K. Rowling and Harry’s birthdays. So while we all eat pink cakes proclaiming “Happee Birthday” in green to celebrate, we thought we’d take a moment to reflect on some of the series’ best moments. This is no easy task, as the magical novels are packed with scenes that made us laugh, cry, reflect, cheer, sigh, and smile. But we think you’ll agree that the following moments are, above all, memorable.

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Your Favorite Book Sucks: 'The Yellow Wallpaper'

July 30th, 2018

'Your Favorite Book Sucks' is an ongoing column, written by different people, that takes a classic or popular book and argues why it isn't really all that great. Confrontational, to be sure, but it's all in good fun, so please play nice. Charlotte Perkins Gilman would be 158 years old this July. Which got me thinking about her classic tale, “The Yellow Wallpaper.” If you were an English major in college, I’d wager you’ve read this story no less than three times.

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The Complex Exploration of Sex and Identity in Christopher Buehlman's 'The Necromancer's House'

July 26th, 2018

Sexuality is a complicated thing, and it seems to be getting more complicated every day. That’s not some moral indictment, as I’m a very open-minded guy. It’s just an expression of shock and confusion over these evolving times, especially the last five years or so. In this age of #metoo and debates about whether or not straight actors should play trans roles, all I can do is sit back and listen to those in the know.

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Taking the Stage: How Storytellers Saved My Ambition to Write

July 24th, 2018

Photo by Kimberlee Kessler As a child, my parents brought me to see storytellers. I wasn't poor by the standards that you would probably consider poor, but I lived in whatever financial class defines families whose summer activities involve the free neighborhood pool, an occasional Jackie Chan movie from Blockbuster, and going to whatever summer events the library is holding. The storytellers were my favorite.

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5 Ways for Writers to Stay Motivated in the Heat of Summer

July 23rd, 2018

Perspiring in your underwear at your writing desk, you curse the ancient air conditioner that died a week ago. The repairman’s phone number goes straight to voice mail for the third time. That bastard is probably at the beach. Mouth-watering scents of barbecued sirloin drift in through your window. You hear your next-door neighbour laughing with her friends in the backyard. Before you can get back to work, someone texts you with an invite to a pool party. How is a struggling writer supposed to get any work done in the summer?

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The 85 Best Things About Cormac McCarthy

July 20th, 2018

July 20th is Cormac McCarthy's 85th birthday. In honor of the man and his work, we bring you 85 things you might not know, might want to know, and that you might find useful, especially if you like stumbling around drunk in Tennessee. Which, if you haven't done it, is worth your time. 

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