Down to you, constant stranger
It’s time for some honest self-help. Writing is extremely authoritative, it’s just the writer out there, and that is truly intimidating. It’s a fear of failure, the nightmare of being defenseless before a group of hostile assessors. I can hear their sneering voices in my dreams, and wake up mumbling “give me a break”. I […]
Writer’s block
How do you overcome writer’s block? I didn’t think it would happen to me, but here I am, stuck. The method that helped me before, writing every new bit as if it was a scene that can stand alone, is not working. I have ideas, but they’re not connected, they’re loosely strewn across the floor, […]
Uprooted
So much has changed since Helmut and I came here from Munich three years ago. We’ve moved twice, and in the new year we’ll be moving again. Three moves in as many years. Just a month ago we were sitting on the shore in San Francisco wishing for a real home. San Francisco felt so […]
Focus
My overall time management has gone off in my writing project. What I have noticed lately is that I assume too much. Assume has two meanings: to think without knowing for a fact to take on as a job, task or role I do too much of both. To handle the crisis I’m in, I […]
The Abercrombie + Fitch scandal
We discussed the Abercrombie + Fitch scandal in a class of mine a few weeks ago, using the Interbrand blog. The reasoned response in the first video below reiterates many of the points made by the participants. They argued about whether one should simply say “live and let live” or demand civic readjustment, and whether […]
Rob Ross: The Joy of Painting
No series of posts on English for artists would be complete without mentioning Rob Ross and his PBS TV series, The Joy of Painting (’83-’94). I’ve been fascinated watching the shapes emerge, and have laughed tears listening to the painter, all down-homey, talking about his little old messy brushes – but that’s ok – just […]
President Obama says “Treyvon could have been me”
Good for him. I know the haters are going to be out in force, but this is a heartfelt and touching speech. I love Obama when he does this. See “Fear of a Black President” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
