Columns

Jonathan Safran Foer's "Tree of Codes": Gimmick or Great Read?

August 30th, 2023

Photos by Peter Derk Let’s take a moment to talk carnivals. I promise that this relates to Tree of Codes by Jonathan Safran Foer. When you walk through the aisles of food stands, the section of a carnival for people like me, people with taste, you might come across walking tacos. This is the name given to a dish where you basically put a taco, minus tortilla, into a bag of Doritos, smash it all up, and then eat it with a fork. If you’ve never eaten this, I highly recommend it.

Read Column →

The Silly Gooses Theater Company

August 29th, 2023

When I describe Farsickness to people, I start by saying that it’s "Demented Whimsy"—and I’d like to tell you how that artistic philosophy was born. Back in 2020, the world got knocked sideways, and the impossible became the everyday. Because we were all forced inside, we evaluated our lives. Was I fulfilled? Did I have hope? Was I a good spouse, a good parent? And would I ever see that loved one who lives across the country again? We were cluttered with unanswerable questions and had to build new status quos on the quick.

Read Column →

I’m an Idiot or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Novella

August 28th, 2023

“I’m a fucking idiot.” That&rsquo

Read Column →

Storyville: Literary Devices—10 Common Writing Techniques and How to Use Them

August 25th, 2023

Have you heard people talk about literary devices, but you weren’t sure what that meant, or how to use them? Let’s chat about some of the more common examples and then see how you might incorporate them into your fiction.

Read Column →

Should You Join A Writers Organization?

August 23rd, 2023

There are multiple reasons for joining a writers organization. Some writers join for access to writing resources, while others join for networking opportunities. There are even those who might join an organization out of curiosity, to see what exactly that group can offer them and their career. Or maybe they're just after a little social interaction.

Read Column →

10 Years Ago, Librarians Predicted What Today's Library Would Look Like

August 21st, 2023

image: pixabay In 2010, a group of library professionals got together and wrote essays that answered the question: What will the library be like in 2020? Before you get too excited, no, nobody predicted a global pandemic would kill a bunch of people. Also, nobody predicted that a subset of doofuses would attribute the ravages of this virus to the introduction of faster wireless network speeds.

Read Column →

Using Peace, Quiet, and Introspection to Intensify Your Writing

August 18th, 2023

I want to talk to you about the concept of using peace, quiet, and introspection to add some intensity to your writing. While your story can certainly be an insane sprint for the finish line (such as in my 1,501-word story, “Undone” that’s ONE SENTENCE) or a continuous barrage of horrifying elements, never letting up, let’s look at the ways that taking a break from the action, from the darkness, from the fast-pace unfurling of your story can actually make those moments stronger.

Read Column →

Restricting Kids' Reading Through Bans Is Bad For Everyone

August 16th, 2023

Original image by Alycia Fung  Lately it seems like everyone is trying to poke their noses into kids’ reading habits. From their own parents to their friends’ parents to the literal government, kids and teens are having their reading scrutinized — and restricted.

Read Column →

Book vs. Film: "Dracula" vs. "The Last Voyage of the Demeter"

August 14th, 2023

Dracula just won’t die. This is a universally understood fact, that the good old Count will always be around, no matter how many stakes get driven into his heart, how many sunrises burn him to smithereens, how many times a Van Helsing or some other protagonist lops off his head. Dracula will always come back. This is especially true when it comes to cinema, where the character tends to proliferate wildly.

Read Column →

The Don'ts And Definitely Don'ts of Writing Stupid-Funny Books

August 11th, 2023

Image: pexels Most of my writing advice is questionable, but if you want advice on writing incredibly stupid, incredibly fun books, I’m your Dingleberry. Or Huckleberry. Whatever berry you like, I’m that. Off to a stupid start already. Let’s keep this rolling. Quick Definition A stupid-fun book is a book that's meant to be fun, funny, and when people call it "stupid," you have to agree, it's pretty stupid.

Read Column →