‘Stay in your lane’ is a frequent social media soundbite that is not so much advice as it is admonishment. And I get it. I do. There’s only so much a millionaire can say about living on the poverty line, for example. Or that an expert on Russian poetry can tell me about when to […]
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Why I Started Writing
I started writing because I was angry. A lot of writers tell you not to do that. They say anger is a lousy motivation. They say if you write while angry, the anger will leak out onto your pages. Bring it on, I say. Frankly, I don’t care about a writer’s motivation. Many people are […]
Creativity is Inefficient—And That’s a Good Thing
As a kid, I loved to daydream. I would sit for hours, staring through my bedroom window into the backyard, imaging all sorts of characters going on quests and having adventures. My toys and LEGO constructions mirrored these daytime fantasies, and I enjoyed books that took me into other worlds too. I started writing stories […]
Why Art Matters
I grew up believing art was the least important thing in life. Music, reading, writing—they all had to wait. Homework came first. I had to help with chores. The dog (or other pet-of-the-month) needed attention. Art sat securely at the bottom of my revolving to-do list. Don’t get me wrong, those other things were important. […]
My Baby Book
Tomorrow is the launch of my new book, Surviving Childlessness. And it feels like I’m birthing a baby. (It’s possible to give birth, even when you are childless.) This is not the only time I have felt like I have birthed something other than a biological child. When my first book was published, I felt the same way. […]