I recently stumbled on a book, a perfect holiday gift for those of us who love reading as well as knitting. Alice Hoffman, author of so many notable novels (I especially loved The Dovekeepers), joined forces with her cousin Lisa Hoffman, a master knitter, to come up with a book that weaves together … [Read more...] about Knitting and writing: what do they have in common?
What did you read this summer?
Summer reading is a world unto itself. It’s not as if the love of books doesn’t have us immersed in reading all year long. But summer brings with it memories of freedom from school, with all that’s attached to assigned reading, textbook or otherwise. Some things, like the smell of library books, … [Read more...] about What did you read this summer?
Today it’s all about the book
Writers, more often than not, are uncomfortable singing their praises. The work we do, in the quiet of a space we relish, is what sustains us. Lots of time spent being invisible for the sake of the visibility and resonance we hope our stories bring. Maybe Joan Didion was right when she … [Read more...] about Today it’s all about the book
Groundhog Day
I love Groundhog Day. It’s a silly tradition but it manages to work its charm. I always wake up on February 2nd filled with anticipation about all the implications of a shadow. (Did that funny-looking creature with an equally odd name see his shadow? Did he not see it?) The shift to more daylight, … [Read more...] about Groundhog Day
Stories begging to be told
Tell anyone you’re a writer and inevitably you hear these words—Oh do I have a story to tell! If only I knew how to get it all down. Maybe I could tell it to you and you could write it for me. “Writing isn’t particularly different from hibernation,” observes the polar bear/narrator in Yoko … [Read more...] about Stories begging to be told
The long and the short of it
Don’t have to be a writer to know we belong to a storytelling species. Conversation is just a prelude, the entry point to an anecdote begging to be shared. I’m not prone to especially long-winded anecdotes, but even I can get carried away. “The long and the short of it,” I’ll say, reaching the … [Read more...] about The long and the short of it
