South Trip 2014
In October, Kyle, Gideon, and I took a road trip in the Southern part of the United States. We rented a car and drove from Key West, Florida to Washington DC with a side trip to Kentucky to visit relatives.…
A Tip For Making Writing Goals And Being A Happier Writer
Here’s a tip for making writing goals in 2015: don’t focus on accolades and publications. Instead, focus on output. As a writer, you have no control over what people think of your work. That means you have no control over…
2014, The Year I Read Long Books
This year, for some reason, I took to reading long novels. Among the big books I read were Infinite Jest—which I wrote about on here before—IQ84 by Haruki Murakami (900+ pages), Red Moon by Benjamin Percy (530 pages), The Goldfinch…
Rainwater
What a relief it is to see rain again after this weird year of drought in California. This leaf was sitting in my garden and it was as pretty to me as if it were covered in diamonds.
Huck Finn, Ramon Quimbly, And Writers’ Houses In Mental Floss
More Mental Floss pieces! Read ’em all: 10 Facts About ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ 10 Facts About Beverly Cleary’s ‘Ramona’ Books 10 Famous Writers’ Houses Worth Visiting
LM Montgomery In Mental Floss
Speaking of Anne of Green Gables, my most recent article is all about the author of Anne of Green Gables, LM Montgomery. 14 Facts About ‘Anne of Green Gables’ Author L.M. Montgomery Here’s an excerpt: 6. She wrote despite a…
Essay In Los Angeles Review
I have an essay in the Spring 2014 issue of The Los Angeles Review. It’s called “On Shaping A Reader.” It’s about my thoughts on directing my son Gideon’s reading, and how certain books–Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, etc–profoundly…
Article In Via
If you have AAA, check out this issue of Via Magazine. I have an article in there on the Charles M Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa. It’s a pretty nifty place.
Mental Floss Round-Up
Have you been checking out all the awesome articles I’ve been writing for Mental Floss? Here’s a couple of the most recent ones: 14 Fascinating Facts About Foxes 16 Facts About ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ 15 Facts…
Book Review: Art Inc By Lisa Congdon
Did you catch my book review in last Sunday’s San Francsico Chronicle? It was on Art Inc. by Lisa Congdon. If you missed it, have no worries: READ IT HERE.