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My collection of travel stories, Travels with Jessica, is now available! Kindle and paperback here; other ebook formats here. And I’ve published my essay “For Jessica” as a small book. Kindle and paperback here; other ebook formats here.
Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter! I give random stuff away—and I tell more stories. Just wander over to my homepage.
Terry Pratchett is wicked smart and his comic novels come with a sting. He found out a few years ago that he is suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s, and to read his most recent novel, I Shall Wear Midnight, with that knowledge is enough to make you cry. His young protagonist, Tiffany Aching, and her sidekicks,…
People tell me their stories. They always have, even when I yawn and put my head down on the table or exclaim, “Look at the time! Gotta run!” Even when I say, “I’ve heard this story a thousand times, Marvin.” Even before they find out I’m a writer or that I’m an editor. They tell…
My mother once gave me a shopworn gift for Christmas and said, “I’m giving this to you because you don’t mind broken things.” I’ve often thought about this statement. Over the years, it has come to mean different things: that I can see the value in everyone and everything, even if imperfect. That I have…
All too often, we spend so much time behind our computers that we forget there=s a whole world out there waiting for us to explore it. If you feel isolated and bored, chances are, you=ll lose enthusiasm for your writing. So a little adventure — getting out from behind the monitor — can make a…
For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been reading some version of this advice over and over: Don’t burn bridges. Be nice to everyone. You never know when someone will be able to help you down the road. Which, oh please. Sometimes the best thing you can do in life is burn bridges. Douse them…
One of the editors I work for recently commented, “You are a jack of all trades!” She meant that she was impressed with the variety of things I know something about, which is a direct result of the fact that I am easily bored. For this client, it helps that I know a little bit…
