Short Story: El Morro – David Means
Writing is about choices. That may sound simplistic, but the decisions a writer makes will change the landscape of a story. When does the story…
Short Story: Incident in the Oriente – Paul Theroux
Published in the July 2011 issue of Harper's, "Incident in the Oriente" by Paul Theroux reads like a 19th century adventure story steeped in imperialism and the power of one man's will…
Short Story: The Losing End – Bonnie Nadzam
Bonnie Nadzam's short story "The Losing End" published in the August 2011 issue of Harper's is a glimpse of a man in a moment. Time is sliced to a span…
Short Story: Ideas and Writing
Starting a new story today. Had the idea when we came back from Iceland. Thought about vacations, credit cards, and experiences. How do we put value on objects vs experiences?
Review: Laughing Whitefish – Robert Traver
Last week, on vacation in Michigan, I heard an interview on Points North about the reprinting of Robert Traver's (John D. Voelker's) novel Laughing Whitefish. It sounded interesting on two…
Review: The Solitude of Prime Numbers – Paolo Giordano
The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano follows the lives of two friends from childhood into adulthood. The central characters are both scarred by early tragedies, which brings them closer…
Review: The Art of Time in Fiction – Joan Silber
I really love these books from the "Art of" series published by Graywolf Press. In Joan Silber's The Art of Time in Fiction she explores how writers use and manipulate time…