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PB learns to ride the unicycle!
UPDATE: my unicycle hangs from a hook in our garage. Sometimes I tell it: I'll be back.January 1, 2025-
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Tag Archives: writing
Trickle-Down Poem For May (Thank You, April)
Full Flower Moon May (mostly), the petticoat swirl of rising pink meadow, petite showers, buds. I say: rose, peony, phlox. And I say: petal- shorn, plucked, blown until only the head remains, one pale sticky oval crushed by u- niverse … Continue reading
Spring Spirit Conference, 2012
What a delightfully smooth, well-run, 1 day conference. As I drove away, the GPS taking me on a spooky off-the-freeway-then-back-on mini-adventure, as I sped past miles of crops (previously mist-blanketed, cooling off from a day of baking in 93 degrees), … Continue reading
Quote For The Weekend (Roadtrip Edition)
What is the feeling when you’re driving away from people, and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? -it’s the too huge world vaulting us, and it’s good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Poetry, Writer's Angst, writing
Tagged 2012, Jack Kerouac, On The Road, poetry, USC, writing
3 Comments
Quote For The Weekend (Rich Edition)
Sleeping, turning in turn like planets rotating in their midnight meadow: a touch is enough to let us know we’re not alone in the universe, even in sleep… —Adrienne Rich Diving Into The Wreck made such an impression on me … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, Quotes, Writer quotes
Tagged 2012, Adrienne Rich, Diving Into The Wreck, poetry, writing
2 Comments
Quote For The—Blrrrrrrrrrrgh
This is what I remember about Friday: feeding the boy, hug-sandwich as we said bye-bye to his dad, finally getting the boy to preschool (I thought I was a slow eater!), speeding to Starbucks as forgot to buy coffee for … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writer quotes, writing
Tagged 2012, children's literature, fiction writing, middle grade writing, personal goals, writing
2 Comments
Book Bits (Courtesy of NPR)
You’ve probably already been here as I’m never the earliest anywhere except the zoo, museums, playgrounds and places in which excessive queuing is involved. But here is an excerpt anyway and you can listen to the whole interview with Jonah Lehrer … Continue reading
Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Fiction, Writer quotes, Writing Tips
Tagged 2012, fiction writing, Fun In The Workplace, Jonah Lehrer, life, NPR, personal goals, Pixar, preschoolers, quotes on writing, Steve Jobs, writing
6 Comments
Quote For The Weekend (Rain Edition)
There’s always a period of curious fear between the first sweet-smelling breeze and the time when the rain comes cracking down. —Don DeLillo Yes. And a curious fear in the short time it takes to crack open the cover of … Continue reading
Posted in books, Fiction, Me and Us, Quotes, Writer quotes, writing
Tagged 2012, Don DeLillo, Falling Man, quotes on writing, rain, White Noise, writer, writing
4 Comments
Middle Grade Tidbit
In case you’re missing it, agent Michael Bourret from Dystel & Goderich and editor Molly O’Neill are conversing via their blogs about middle grade novels–what they look for, what they like, what middle grade is or might be or possibly isn’t but … Continue reading
Quote For The Weekend (Yet Another Late Edition)
I am repeat quoting. Visiting the museum this weekend, I was once again struck by Marcel Proust’s words high on a wall overlooking the displays of dinosaur bones. I am constantly trying to quickly evolve new eyes as I revise my novel … Continue reading
Blog Break: Yes, Kony 2012
Click here for the movie. Scroll 1/2 way down their page. Watch. If you haven’t seen the film yet, it’s 27 minutes short and after the first 5 minutes you don’t care how long it is. If, like me, you … Continue reading
Posted in Avoiding My Writing, dog, Fiction, Me and Us, Writer's Angst, Writing Progress, WTF
Tagged 2012, cats, domestics, Invisible Children, Kony 2012, preschoolers, writer's angst, writing, Yaks
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Critique Etiquette
The ever-interesting Beth Hull offers some valuable critiquing advice at her blog today. I highly recommend you check in–especially if, like me, you are gearing up for the Rocklin Spring Spirit conference, where critiquing will be in the air, … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, writing, Writing Tips
Tagged 2012, Beth Hull, CA, Critique Etiquette, fiction, How To Critique, Rocklin, Spring Spirit Conference, Susan Rich, writing, Writing Critique
1 Comment
Quote For The Weekend (Poem Edition That May Last Until Next Weekend Due To Secret Project, Beautifying The Ponderosa & After Effects Of Polishing Off Box Of Birthday See’s Candy & Snickers Bar Cake—Which Created The Most Hyper Preschooler On The Planet)
This poem won me a fellowship to the Abroad Writers’ Conferences. I debated thoroughly utilizing the generous benefits of my fellowship and hightailing it to Thailand, especially as my dear, cool, ever-fascinating friend Chris Abani was a workshop leader and how … Continue reading
Posted in books, Poetry, writing, Writing Progress
Tagged 2012, Abroad Writers Conferences, Chiang Mai, Nightmares With Moons, poetry, preschoolers, Pudding House, Thailand, writer's retreat, writing
1 Comment
And Now This
Remember in the movie Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs when Flynt pulls up that kitten bit on his computer screen and 3 hours fly by? Or maybe you don’t as, unlike me, you have not seen the movie 40,000 … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, To Explain
Tagged 2012, children's literature, fiction writing, personal goals, preschoolers, writing
6 Comments
Quote For The Weekend (Superbowl Edition)
1. In modern war…you will die like a dog for no good reason. 2. Man is not made for defeat. —Ernest Hemingway I regret not going into Hemingway’s house when I was in Key West. Instead I stood out on … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Quotes, Writer quotes, Writer's Angst, writing, WTF
Tagged 2012, beach, Captain Tony's, cats, Ernest Hemingway, Key West, Papa Dobles, scotch and soda, Sloppy Joe's, writing
4 Comments
Tropic of Dentist
Sharing this delightful list after a harrowing dentist appointment for my son (and his parents), in which despite kiddie valium being administered, despite the unfortunately Hannibal-Lecter-like restraints and despite the nose mask pumping in “giggle stuff”, my son raged quite effectively at … Continue reading
Posted in To Explain, Writer quotes, Writer's Angst, writing
Tagged 2012, dentist hell, fiction writing, Henry Miller, pedidatric dentists, preschoolers, quotes on writing, writing, Writing Tips
1 Comment
Quote For The Weekend (Seminar Edition)
Some writers, critics, and other assorted literati sniff at plotting as a tool of craft. A synonym of plotting, in this mindset, is slumming, something decent people just don’t do. —James Scott Bell Whose seminar I attended this morning in … Continue reading
Oak Ents
This was the morning: camellias and oak trees. And koi ponds, a small, very green lake with coots and mallards drifting, a Japanese garden with an unattended snack bar my son immediately took over, stepping behind the counter (which came … Continue reading
Posted in writing, WTF
Tagged 2012, Descanso Gardens, fiction writing, oak trees, writer's angst, writing
1 Comment
Speaking Of Poetry
Askew , a poetry journal, accepted a poem of mine for their May issue. It’s nice to have an acceptance so early in the year, providing me with impetus to keep submitting my work even when the day starts at … Continue reading
Posted in Poetry, writing, Writing Progress
Tagged 2012, Askew poetry, Marsha de la O, personal goals, poetry, Ventura, writing
4 Comments
Quote For The Weekend (Pulled Muscle Edition)
“Writers are notorious for using any reason to keep from working: over-researching, retyping, going to meetings, waxing the floors–anything.” —Gloria Steinem I opened the door to my son’s classroom and an invisible claw grabbed the muscles in my right side and … Continue reading
Quote For The Weekend (Another Sunday Late Edition Blrrrrgh)
The blood jet is poetry/there is no stopping it. —Sylvia Plath I could stare at this photo for hours…
Spring Spirit 2012
Recently writer Beth Hull turned me on to the Spring Spirit conference, an annual SCBWI California North/Central event held in Rocklin, CA. This year, I’m excited to say I will be attending. The lineup is top notch, including the YA Muses … Continue reading
Time Spent
Roaming the house looking for my reading glasses when on top of head entire time: a good 15 minutes (additional minutes tacked on when distracted by each room’s white elephant: mound of clean yet hopelessly wrinkled laundry on guest room bed, … Continue reading
Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Pets, To Explain, Writer's Angst, writing, Writing Progress, WTF
Tagged 2012, children's literature, fiction writing, Llamas, Starry, starry night, tapas, Van Gogh, writer's angst, writing
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