The Erosion of Memory
"Some stories are true that never happened." ~Elie Weisel My memories are being eroded; they are being washed away bits and layers at a time. And once I walk through the valley of my mind, stooping to sift through the remains,
The Slave Quarters: Writing What I Know
When I was six years old, my family moved from a two story, cedar-sided home with an intercom system and attached garage into a 500 square foot slave quarters set on a 365 acre, Civil War-era farm. The arrangement was
A Round Table of Writers
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending a social media session in Nashville hosted by River Jordan, author of The Gin Girl, The Messenger of Magnolia Street, Saints in Limbo, and her forthcoming novel, The Miracle of Mercy Land. Also
The Novel Must Die
Today marks one week since I murdered my first novel. It was not a senseless act of violence, but neither was it premeditated. I just knew--and, if I am to be honest, my readers did as well--that it had
Smile although your feet are dirty…
"Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response." (A shot of my brother, Joshua, and me in Pennsylvania--probably around 1988.)
Writing in a Runner’s World
This past weekend I ran in a 5K -- or survived a 5K might be the better phrasing -- and learned more about the dynamics of the writing world than I could have in a week’s worth of conferences (mighty
Blue Hands and Bristling Days
This quote's for you out there hunkered against the cold with your blue hands nestled under your armpits:"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not