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Las Vegas Book Festival 2018
It’s early Sunday morning and the rare Las Vegas rain is performing a duet with my roof shingles. The perfect moment to write about yesterday’s Las Vegas Book Festival. It takes place at the Historic Fifth Street School. Strolling in the morning sun I could just make out the curves and simplicity of Mission-Revival architecture through the vendor tents. Lofty literary discussions and colorful artwork meant for children are both at home in the courtyards and rooms of this 1936 gem. I attended a 9 AM panel titled Historical Fiction and the Search for the Usable Past. Moderated by John Hay, the panel included three writers with distinct contributions to…
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Reading: Excellent & Enlightening
There is an inordinate burden placed on own voices literature. Due to a lack of true representation in the market, these works are expected to portray an entire population accurately (which is of course, impossible). The demands own voices authors face are much higher and the pressure to present the perfect story greater. There There by Tommy Orange fulfills all those demands. That’s why it’s brilliant. Well, that’s one reason of many. Reading most quality novels is like observing a grand metropolis from a great height, you see it all unfold in a magnificent tapestry. Reading this work, however, is like observing that same metropolis from a great height with…
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Reading: Daughters & Mothers
This novel was another book club pick, and although it’s almost three times as long as the previous one, I tore through it in half the time. Tayari Jones’ prose forges compelling, realistic characters on a heartbreaking journey toward love in its many forms. The narrative in Silver Sparrow unfolds through the eyes of two teenage girls—Dana and Chaurisse—who have much more in common than they realize. Beyond sharing (unbeknownst to Chaurisse), a father, they also share the real and consuming desire to be seen. This is not a need for attention, but a need to be understood and loved in a way that recognizes who they are as people.…
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Critiquing 101: How To Be A Great Critique Partner
I’m a proponent of attending critique groups. You can tell a group is beneficial when their comments help you build a better story, create more realistic characters, and refine (or find) your voice as a writer. They will push you in ways that can be painful but ultimately are aimed at polishing your work not breaking you down. So what can you do to be an asset to the group like they are to you? Read on. Be Honest This is the first tip for a reason. It is by far the most important. Your partners won’t benefit if you dance around the truth. Assume people are giving you their…
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Reading: Devastating & Delightful
To read Chelsea Hodson’s essay collection, Tonight I’m Somone Else is to take up residence inside the author’s head. She doesn’t so much invite you in, instead, she pushes. And as you go careening forward you can’t help but enjoy the fall. If you’re a woman, you need to read this book. If you’re a writer, you need to read this book. If you’re currently breathing, you need to read this book. You need. To read. This book. Hodson posits we are not the mere sum of our experiences; we are not where we’ve been or what we’ve seen. Our selves are best summarized through our thoughts. The ones that…
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Reading: Redundant & Repetitive
Full disclosure: I didn’t exactly pick this book. I’ve recently joined a book club (for the first time ever) and this was next on their list. I’ll also admit to initially not recognizing Shirley Jackson’s name. She is, of course, the mind behind one of the most famous short stories of all time—“The Lottery”, a tale that is a masterpiece of gothic horror and social commentary. After realizing who the author was, my expectations definitely changed. This might be unfair to Jackson, but such is our reality, if one produces exceptional work all consequent pieces are measured against it. And for me, “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” did…
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5 Ways to Cure Writer’s Block Blues
In A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway writes “Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know.” I love these words and what they represent. But for those of us who aren’t Hemingway, there may be other, more realistic approaches to curing writer’s block blues. It took some trial and error to find what works best for me. The following are five techniques I am currently using to push through the frustration. 1. Writing Prompts The magic of writing prompts is in unlocking your unique voice and perspective, allowing you to craft…
