Conventional wisdom has it that writers make poor household pets, but once you have the opportunity to observe these delightful creatures as close range, you’ll find their care offers the enterprising pet lover a rewarding experience. Recent legislation has made the importation of writers for private ownership illegal in most…
There’s only one picture book that I find myself turning to as an adult because I crave its emotional message. Don’t mistake me: I love a lot of picture books. I love their charm, their evocativeness, their wit, their simplicity, their complexity. I love some of them for the memories…
I think I fetishize the virtue of not giving up. I’m not alone, of course. I didn’t come up with this idea that, no matter how sick I feel, there is something weak about not going to the gym on what’s supposed to be legs day. Or, for that matter,…
I tried some new things this year. Here is how they’ve gone so far.
Hello, and welcome to this week’s column of “Ask the Writing Gods.” As usual, we, the deities in charge of writing, revising, inspiration, ideas, and all things authorial, will answer callers’ questions about their works-in-progress and — oh god, not you again. ME: Hi!
When the animated film Home (Dreamworks, 2015) first came out, I was excited to see it. I’d enjoyed the book on which it’s based, Adam Rex’s The True Meaning of Smekday (2007).* Although I missed its initial run in theatres, I was pleased to discover Netflix had acquired the streaming…
When I was a girl, I’d often have a nightmare in which I was somewhere with religiously diverse friends — when I was younger, usually Guides, and school friends as I got older. There’d be food. Someone would offer me a plate, and I’d accept unthinkingly. And then, somewhere after…
We all know “the look.” We’ve seen it more times than we can count: the mingled disgust, anger, and horror. The step back and double take that says “You don’t belong here.” Get out. Pervert. Freak. For those of us who are gender non-conforming*, transgender or trans*, gender non-binary, genderfluid,…
Public libraries rock. This is a fact of life. Because I was fortunate to be born into a life of relative privilege, they rock for a whole bunch of reasons I’ve been lucky enough not to need to know. They offer free heat and light and air conditioning, free water,…