Monthly Archives: September 2009

Ashamed of my alma mater

Posted on September 29, 2009 by

I am ashamed and angry at the response from the University of Pittsburgh. It’s not bad enough that K-12 students are taught to OBEY, we are now extending that education to universities? Continue reading →


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Rejection Letters / Backpacking the Catskills

Posted on September 23, 2009 by

Thought I’d share a story and a few photos from my Labor Day weekend backpacking trip to the Catskill Mountains. Continue reading →


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The best critique I ever received

Posted on September 18, 2009 by

Recent posts by Kristin Nelson and Josh Olson (via Janet Reid) got me thinking about this. At age 15 my writing abilities were far above those of my peers.  Any essay I turned in, no matter how vapid, met universal … Continue reading →


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Writing techniques: revealing character

Posted on September 17, 2009 by

The new Flaming Lips album Embryonic, is streaming in its entirety over on Colbert Nation.  I’ve been listening to it all day at work.  This is a good day. I’m currently “reading” Neil Stephenson’s The Diamond Age.  I use the … Continue reading →


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How not to write query letters

Posted on September 16, 2009 by

More than 20 literary agents have been sent queries for Volve this week, the first time in the book’s long life that I’ve made this kind of effort toward publication.  I finished the third rewrite a couple of weeks ago, … Continue reading →


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