Category: review
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Poetry Rocks!
A while ago Art Director Gayle Hendricks (who teaches graphic design at Northampton Community College) asked me if I wanted to join her for a poetry walk. These were the details: All are welcome to enjoy a unique experience blending nature, poetry, and mindfulness at the Bethlehem campus’ beautiful acreage,…
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There is no art without story
As a journalist, I know there is always a story. If two people are in a room, I used to tell my interns and new reporters, there is a story. If a meeting gets canceled, there’s a story why. As humans, we cherish story. We may live in day-to-day routines but our entertainment,…
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I went to a writing conference and came home with the keynote’s haircut
I have a “Networking for Writers” talk which I presented at the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group a few weeks ago to help prepare members for the conference that happened March 13-15. (You can see the slides as a paid subscriber to my Substack.) In that talk, I assume that everyone listening…
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It’s the Universe that matters
If I learned one lesson recently while reading Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, those books have reminded me that the absolute most important aspect of writing (and reading) is the universe. Readers deserve a universe that is rich, complicated and full of the right details, complex characters and a setting that comes alive. And sure—…
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What our bookstores say about us
I don’t know how I discovered Possible Futures, a bookstore and “community bookspace,” but visiting there was an experience, a special treat for the side of my publisher and academic self interested in critical theory and marginalized voices. I am linking to the about page on their website here, because…
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Review: Janet Evanovich How I Write
I finished Janet Evanovich’s How I Write, and I expected it to disappoint. Evanovich reports in the book that it takes laborious effort to make her Stephanie Plum novels read so simply. So, like the easy tone of her fiction, her writing craft book is also conversational. The book released…
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Meanwhile at Mary Meuser Library
While I offer workshops at the Easton Area Public Library, I serve on the board of trustees for my local public library, the Mary Meuser Memorial Library in quaint Wilson Borough, Pa., which shares a zip code with neighboring Easton. I first joined the library board circa 2008 when my now-college-aged child…
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Writing Craft Books at Easton Library
I reached out to my friends at Easton Area Public Library, where I have free monthly writers workshops on the second Thursday of the month*, asking about what writing craft books they have in their collection. (It looks like most of them are cataloged around 808 if you plan on browsing the…
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Used Books in Coopersburg
Let’s come back to the Lehigh Valley and talk about our recent visit to Medina Books and Coffee on Main Street in Coopersburg, Pa. For our Readers: Medina Books and Coffee If you are a reader, Medina Books and Coffee has recently expanded their presence in Coopersburg, Pa. The store is a…
Parisian Phoenix Publishing 