Dialogue and Arguing the Other Side
I’ve been thinking lately about dialogue and what it means. The use of dialogue is, of course, obvious: a tool, the same as any other, a way to move the story forward, and make leaps in the reader’s… Read More
In Praise of Graphic Novels
Nothing has delighted me more, in terms of literary trends, than the rise of the graphic novel over the last decade or so. They’ve gone from poor relations to contenders, containing as much life, as much subtlety, as… Read More
And Now, More Craft Books
Sorry, broken record. But my weekly dispatch is another craft book, while I’m on the subject. Perhaps because this is what I find myself reading, partly because I can’t seem to make myself finish Fellow Travellers, the adaption… Read More
Craft Book Recommendation (for your New Year’s resolution to begin a novel)
If you, like me, started off the year with ambitions to have a book drafted by spring, you are probably, like me, already struggling with procrastination. But, as I like to stress, not all procrastination is created equal…. Read More
Films as part of a literary education
I’ll keep it brief this week, in deference to the final flurry before the break. My ambition for the week between Christmas and New Year’s is to watch movies in my pyjamas. Given that my youngest child is… Read More
In Praise of Short Stories
It’s nearly the end of the semester, the days are grey, and there is barely time to read. So, in a nod to our collectively limited time, my book recommendations this week are all short story collections. I… Read More
Reading Recommendations: On Writing that Makes It Up
Okay, I know any writing, even the autobiographical, is a form of making it up. But on the heels of recommending Wonderbook, with all the good advice contained therein, I want to offer a few suggestions for books… Read More
Book Recommendations: Read Plays
Inspired by a classroom visit this week to chat playwriting and the brightness of the students in the class (thanks for great questions), my book recommendations for this week are semi-books. They are published plays, which means they… Read More
Book Recommendation: Wonderbook
Wonderbook: the illustrated guide to creating imaginative fiction, by Jeff VanderMeer Full disclosure: I have not read Jeff VanderMeer’s fiction, though I’ve been meaning to read The Southern Reach Trilogy for years. His work, as I understand it,… Read More
Spooky Books and Some Advice
I know Halloween is over (there’s a decaying pumpkin at my front door, and probably a squirrel eating it), though I have enough candy in my house to help my short-term gratification problem and threaten my health and… Read More
