Achy Obejas, quoting her dad, “The difference between poetry and poverty is one letter.” The room (full of writers) cracked up. (I’m at the Latinx literature symposium on campus….)
The Difference Between Poetry and Poverty Read More »
We’re critiquing in class today, but the student we’re critiquing was running late, so the students are doing an exercise right now, and I thought I’d share it with you — make three lists: – things you love – things you hate – things you fear They don’t have to be big things. Things I
Teaching day tomorrow, which I have to admit, is feeling deeply unfair right now. But I will manage somehow. I’ve been in a terrible mood for most of yesterday and today, which I suppose is not surprising, considering the circumstances — alternately grouchy and sad and mad at the universe. I did finish reading a
Kitty says, “You should be writing.” Yes, kitty. Okay. ***** Nami’s story, scene 3: “So why don’t you invite her to the welcome dance?” Surinder asked, in between contented chomps of his fried chickpea snack. “Oh, let that go already,” Nami said. She really didn’t have time for this; she didn’t even have time to
Okay Kitty, I’ll Write Read More »
Drafted another little scene for the May P*treon story. I realized while writing that I really need to solidify my sense of what the ‘chip’ tech in my universe really does; I was trying to explain it to someone, and kind of stumbled incoherently. Maybe you can help? If you had a ‘chip in your
I took a little break from family matters to run out to a coffeeshop, grab an iced chai latte, and draft the first scene of a new story. I don’t have a title yet — I don’t think I can really title it well until I make it to the end. People will have to
An article about the Salam Award Workshop that Liz Hand and I taught at. I was so behind, I didn’t get a chance to respond to the journalist with more specifics, but luckily, Liz did. “To be a new writer in Pakistan today can be as thrilling as it is disheartening. Positioned as we are
Article on Salam Award Workshop Read More »
Here’s a bit of a story I drafted on the plane, coming back from ICFA. I probably won’t be posting more of this one, because I’m hoping to submit it to a magazine. But here’s a taste… (random pic for the algorithm — a winter photo from my garden that I never got around to
It Ended with Expulsion Read More »
So, I’ve officially started trying to write a story / month. Now, Bradbury said writers should write a story a week, which in theory, I *could* do, if I had no day job, volunteer commitments, family needs, etc. and so on. But I think I can manage a story a month, especially if I treat
It’s going to take me a long time, I think, to fully integrate all my thoughts from the Pakistan trip. I didn’t expect that. I’ve been to India, after all — to Agra and Delhi, to Chennai and Kodaikanal — and of course to Sri Lanka many times; I think I’d been assuming that Pakistan
My Thoughts on the Theocracy of Pakistan Read More »
