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Faded Pages: Where the Red Fern Grows
April 28th, 2014
I have three dogs because of a book. Sure, one could say an adult’s self-control trumps whatever imperative a work of fiction might dictate, but that’s beside the point. I’m talking about the power of literature here, and the impact one book—a children’s book, at that—has had on the course of my life.
Read Column →Seven Songs, Seven Literary Devices — Celebrating the Poetics of Songwriting
April 25th, 2014
So this article idea started with a recent trip to Seattle (yep, for the AWP Conference). During the trip, I heard the 90s classic “Lump” by The Presidents of the United States of America no less than 4 times! Considering the song is not on regular rotation on any radio station anywhere these days, I thought that was a fairly interesting coincidence, and by the third time I heard it, I actually started to listen to the lyrics.
Read Column →The Holocaust: In Remembrance, We're Less Alone
April 25th, 2014
Image by TheCarmiBug I was only ten years old when neighborhood kids tried to destroy my local synagogue. They smashed to bits all the windows and glass doors within their reach. They defiled the rough exterior bricks and smooth, interior walls with blood-red, crudely spray painted Swastikas. I wasn't supposed to be at the synagogue that day; my mother tried to protect me from the sight of it. But I saw it anyway.
Read Column →Guilty Pleasures: 6 Pulp Treasures You Shouldn’t Be Ashamed of Reading On Your Daily Commute
April 24th, 2014
If, like me, you occasionally walk into book stores and libraries just to inhale the scent of print and paper and you endure electronic reading as a necessary evil, you still have to admit that the eBook revolution has brought some benefits trailing in its wake. Primary amongst these is that Kindles don’t have covers: you can read what you like on your daily commute and no one will be able to tell that instead of immersing yourself in the invigorating depths of Proust, you are taking a warm if shallow bath in Dan Brown.
Read Column →LURID: Bardic Birthday Bloodfeast
April 23rd, 2014
LURID: vivid in shocking detail; sensational, horrible in savagery or violence, or, a guide to the merits of the kind of Bad Books you never want your co-workers to know you're reading.
Read Column →Prose & Conversation: 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' by Ray Bradbury
April 23rd, 2014
Sometimes a book can be wickedly beautiful. It can blow through you like a storm, cleansing and refreshing, while being scary and intense. Ray Bradbury's classic, Something Wicked This Way Comes, is one of those books. I read it as a child; Richard Thomas read it for the first time this month. Read on for our take on this gorgeously devilish little book, and the terrifying cast of characters within.
Read Column →The Archetypes of Hayao Miyazaki
April 22nd, 2014
Revered Japanese storyteller and director, Hayao Miyazaki, recently announced that he is retiring. His last feature film, The Wind Rises, debuted in American theaters in February to critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination.
Read Column →9 Poems That Will Change Your Mind About Poetry
April 22nd, 2014
There are a great many people who say they hate poetry—and I can't blame them. After all, I had the same educational experience you had. When we were young, they taught us that poetry was "stuff that rhymes." Then, during some high school English class, a teacher decided it was time we learned "classic poetry," and we spent months counting off iambs in Shakespearean sonnets and trudging through T.S.
Read Column →Product Review: nimblstand
April 21st, 2014
image courtesy nimblstand.com I've written extensively on the wonders of using your tablet in combination with a Bluetooth keyboard for an optimal away-from-home (and at-home) writing experience. But what about accessories that marry the two devices together, bringing the tablet just a little closer to the realm of the laptop?
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