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Book vs. Film: "The Stars At Noon"
March 9th, 2023
images: Alfred A. Knopf / A24 The Stars at Noon, by the late, great Denis Johnson, is the kind of work one might categorize as unfilmable when you really begin to unpack its layers and symbolism. This may in part explain why no one attempted — at least in earnest — a film adaptation until 2022, when famed French director Claire Denis, writing alongside Léa Mysius and Andrew Litvack, finally brought Johnson’s third book to the screen 36 years after its initial publication.
Read Column →Yes, I Read The 111-Page Moms For Liberty Book Ban Document
March 8th, 2023
Header images via Pixabay Book bans are pretty much the worst, and when it comes to the worst of the worst, the 111-page Moms for Liberty BOOK of BOOKS document, which claims to provide parental guidance for controversial children’s books, is beneath the barrel’s bottom, somewhere deep in the sewer, under a layer of crust formed by many, many flushed turds.
Read Column →9 Grammar Books You’ll Actually Enjoy Reading
March 6th, 2023
March 4th is National Grammar Day, but the only people who probably know that are teachers, English professors, and devout grammar enthusiast's. Still, grammar is becoming more and more important in our technologically connected world. More and more, we communicate through text, and being able to articulate what you want to say clearly and precisely is more necessary than ever. To help you polish you skills and put any self-professed grammar snob to shame, here are nine grammar books you’ll actually enjoy reading.
Read Column →Finding Your Voice in the Age of AI
March 3rd, 2023
Original robot image by Alex Knight - Original background image by Polina Kovaleva The age of AI has been a long time coming, but between platforms like Dal-E and ChatGPT, it looks like it’s finally here. ChaptGPT’s arrival has sparked debate from chat rooms to boardrooms to classrooms.
Read Column →The Bitten Word: A Writing Exercise
March 1st, 2023
Header image by Roy Christopher Quoting and paraphrasing are common in writing disciplines such as journalism and academia, but plagiarism is anathema, punishable by excommunication. While endemic to the creative practices of hip-hop, the practice of interpolation is also hotly debated. The orthodox rule there was no biting, but if you can take what someone else wrote and make it better, that’s worthy of respect.
Read Column →Craft Books for Writers Who Hate Craft Books
February 28th, 2023
Throughout the past 10+ years of working in a mix of publishing and academic environments, I’ve learned that craft books are hit and miss. Some students and writers really love and depend on them, whereas others feel like after a while, they get a bit stale or repetitive or maybe aren’t giving them the helpful push or inspiration they wanted. Personally, I was the type of writer and student who devoured craft books.
Read Column →The David Sedaris Publication Path
February 22nd, 2023
photo: Heike Huslage-Koch, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons David Sedaris never submitted pieces to lit mags. David Sedaris never tried to find an agent.
Read Column →Yes, I'll Sign Up For Your Author Newsletter
February 21st, 2023
Header image via Madison Inouye I’m trash for an author newsletter. It seems like lately, every author, published or pre-published, has created an author newsletter, and every time they mention their email offerings on my Twitter feed, I simply must sign up. I’m just a huge fan of getting fun emails in my inbox and of feeling a connection to the authors I’ve read and love — or even the authors I follow on social.
Read Column →Storyville: The Big Reveal—Adding Up to Ten
February 17th, 2023
So, you know the horror film—a quiet, dark house or maybe a creepy barn, with a full moon outside. The last final girl is walking towards the basement or the loft or the cornfield when all of a sudden—BAM. A cat jumps in the window. Something tips over. An animal runs out of the pile of hay. It’s a jump scare, and it works, but there’s no depth to this horror. It’s a moment, and it will not linger.
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