“Unrequited love’s a bore!”
Fucking Jack Kerouac, man. This weekend I read Minor Characters by Joyce Johnson, as research for my current novel. Folks, it was a damn good read. If you’re in any way interested in the Beats, and could do with a …
The Dangers of Auto-Fan-Fiction
Greetings from my mother’s kitchen table. The kids and I are halfway through a not-quite-two-week trip back east to visit family in NYC and New Jersey. It’s been a wonderful visit so far. I miss my people and these places …
You, Me, and Doris Lessing’s The Summer Before the Dark: The end
(pages 206 to 273) Well, we’ve reached the end. For those who read along, thanks for joining me. One more time into the breach and then onward: In which it all comes down to the seal. And hair? Okay, so …
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You, Me, and Doris Lessing’s The Summer Before the Dark: Week Three
(pages 149-206) Hey, folks. Here we are, week 3 of 4 in our reading together. If you aren’t reading along, please bear with me for one more week, and remember that I am absolutely NOT turning this newsletter into a …
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You, Me, and Doris Lessing’s The Summer Before the Dark: Week Two
(pages 78-149) Welcome back! Thanks to all who joined in on the conversation last week. I hope everyone is enjoying the reading. I’ve been having a great time with it. I’m reading it for the second time, but it keeps …
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You, Me, and Doris Lessing’s The Summer Before the Dark: Week One
(pages 3-78) Welcome to the first of four discussions about The Summer Before the Dark! Doris Lessing is one of my favorite authors, and I’m so looking forward to reading and thinking about this novel with you. It was published …
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You, Me, and Doris Lessing gets underway in just one week!
Hey folks, Here’s your reminder that one week from today I’ll publish the first of four posts dedicated to our group reading of The Summer Before the Dark by Doris Lessing. (Details in this post, in case you missed it.) …
You, Me, and Doris Lessing gets underway in just one week! Read more »
You, Me, and Doris Lessing
A proposal Hey. You. Want to read a book with me? I just finished rereading To the Light House, as part of A Public Space’s group read. It was my first time revisiting the book in at least seventeen years, …
I'll be the boy with the pink carnation
We’ve had a cold spring here in Portland, and a wet one. The wet is to be expected, but the cold dragged on longer than usual. Lots of dreary 40- to 50-degree days. Lots of cold rain, lots of hail. …
Breaking Up with Jack Kerouac
My agent is shopping my new novel, The Narrow Place, around to editors right now. I’m a slightly nauseated mix of hopeful and terrified about the whole thing, which is, I think, a fairly reasonable response to putting years of …