Many remember Martin Luther King Jr. as a social activist, a man who led demonstrations, and a powerful speaker; but I have always most admired King for a skill sometimes overlooked. Though his proclamation of “I have a dream” still reverberates through our nation’s social fabric, it was not his voice that made that speech so potent, … [Read more…]
Or, “Not Knowing” Why I Am Writing in Tampa “…before every great thought of Creation, there wakens in the soul that which is creative power in her, too. Her stammering overflows in poetry, she daubs on paper her adoration of the creator.” — Goethe After a twenty-year career in Baltimore’s literary community, and almost twenty … [Read more…]
It’s amazing to see how France looked through the eyes of the Stein family in Gertrude’s time. And while I find it fascinating to see her on film, I especially like watching the Steins repeatedly walk down a flight of stairs, and then stroll by the camera in formation, at the 2:48 mark. Why, you ask? … [Read more…]
Eyelids open. Tongue runs across upper lip moving from left side of mouth to right following arc of lip. Swallow. Jaws clench. Grind. Stretch. Swallow. Head lifts. Bent right arm brushes pillow into back of head… (from Fidget, 1997) We’ve all started to write a story or a poem by locating the reader in our … [Read more…]
There exists an expansive array of online resources for MFA students and practicing writers, and one that I find beneficial is Erika Dreifus’ daily dose of e-mail updates of The Practicing Writer. Each morning, I awaken to an inbox of Monday Markets/Jobs/Opportunities, which feature available jobs in academia, as well as the publishing market. Here, … [Read more…]