In the realm of great literature knowing no geopolitical or cultural bounds, I sing the praises of John McGahern's By the Lake, an Irish novel lent to me by a Mexican-American poet. Such a deft hand McGahern has with scene-setting! How quietly yet powerfully he...
“Hard Sell”—the long-awaited new LP from M’Balia
M'Balia is a Philly-bred singer/songwriter trying to make some music and have a good time. Her songwriting is faithful to the 80's radio she was raised on: a little bit of rock, a lot of pop, and way too much soul. She is the 2010 runner up in The World Cafe Live's...
Trashpicking Triumph! 1957 Herman Miller Shell Chair!
...Or near triumph, anyway. Yesterday, I drove past this 1957 Herman Miller Shell chair in someone's trash. Got about 3 blocks away and the quintessential midcentury silhouette wouldn't leave me alone. Turned around. Cast the baby car seat off to one side of the loyal...
How to start a writing group
My workshop students often want to keep up the momentum of our short, intensive time together, plus they want the accountability of having public deadlines. In a flurry of camaraderie, they exchange email addresses before heading out the door. But then what? How do...
Platform Shlatform, part II
I'm late to the party for Sloane Crosley's quirked-out book trailers and can't imagine how many hours (and hours) were spent on them (the scissors!) (the glue!) (the tiny paper bits!)...but I love them nonetheless. Here's the one for I Was Told There'd Be Cake and...