Writing the good read
I remember hearing David Rakoff on This American Life and thinking he was David Sedaris, one of my favorite TAL contributors and authors, with a distinctive voice that makes everything he says funnier. I didn’t know he wrote books, too. But after he died of cancer at 47 last year, there was a lot of…
Earlier this month, I wrote about my new-found respect for Phillip Lopate, regarded as one of the best living writers of thepersonal essay. I wanted to expand my knowledge of the genre — and I had never thought of it as that before, but as the way some writers opine on a variety of subjects…
I just finished Bossypants by Tina Fey. It was okay, kind of funny. But I am increasingly disillusioned with the literary efforts of funny television and film stars. Over the years I’ve picked up books by Paul Reiser, Ellen DeGeneres, and Jerry Seinfeld. None of them were as funny as I hoped. The alternative was…
Today is the last day as the NAIWE Words Matter Blog Challenge. Todays topic: Words, like moths, are captured by writers who pin them to the page in various forms. What writer’s work most deftly captivates you? Why? Easy answer for me: Jane Austen, particularly Pride and Prejudice. I read it at least once a…
I love your writing. I think you are witty and charming and the only thing better than reading you is hearing you read your own work. But most of the time, it’s me reading your books. And most of the time, I’m doing it at night before bed. So I’m begging you, please please please…