Monthly Archives: February 2010
Make a scene
The big shocker this winter: making scenes is hard. At least it’s a lot more work to give readers an experience than to pound out summary. The payoff’s obvious—the reader gets to immerse in another life—and scenes may even help … Continue reading
Review: ‘Old Friend from Far Away’
Old Friend from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir by Natalie Goldberg. Free Press. 309 pages Books on writing fall into two broad categories: how-to and inspirational. Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones is solidly in the latter tradition, … Continue reading
Filed under discovery, freewriting, memoir, REVIEW, spirituality, teaching, working method
On memoir vs. monkey mind
“Know that writing is born from the ache of contraries, polarities in search of peace, of unity. But not the unity of making mush. You want to live in the country. Your husband is an urban boy. You compromise and … Continue reading
Filed under evolutionary psychology, existentialism, memoir, NOTED, working method
Narrative among the dark Danes
K. Brian Soderquist, U.S.A.-born and now a Danish citizen, co-author of Kierkegaard’s Concept of Irony, teaches my son Tom’s Kierkegaard class this winter in Copenhagen. While on a recent field trip, Brian conveyed to Tom and to his study-abroad classmates … Continue reading
Filed under evolutionary psychology, existentialism, memoir, MY LIFE, narrative, spirituality, theme
William Zinsser on Anglo-Saxon’s glory
“The English language is derived from two main sources. One is Latin, the florid language of ancient Rome. The other is Anglo-Saxon, the plain languages of England and northern Europe. The words derived from Latin are the enemy—they will strangle … Continue reading
