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.

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.

Come See My Panel At AWP 2015

Hey! I’m going to be speaking at AWP 2015 in Minneapolis this April. My panel is called “Yes, Writing Is a Job: People Who Get Paid To Write.” Marcia Simmons, Ken Walker and Nora Maynard will be joining me. We’ll…

The 1970s Wallpaper Is Gone!

If you’ve been to my house, you know how much I hate the 1970s wallpaper on the dining room wall. Well, now it’s gone. We have painted over it. Free at last, free at last.