On the “R” Word and Insults in Books
Language is flexible and fun, and normally I’m the last person to tell you how to use it. But insults are an entirely different beast. These are words used to destroy people.
What Book Bloggers Love
Ask any book blogger what she loves most about blogging. Invariably, the answer is always the same. It’s not the advanced reader […]
“Goodwill Tour”: An Interview with Keith Maginn
In July 2011, Keith Maginn and his close friend, Emily, left Cincinnati, Ohio, for a 3,000-mile road-trip through the southeastern United States. Along the way, Keith and Emily had a simple goal: give away their own money to strangers, who then had to pay the money forward to someone else. Because of my abiding interest in travel, and because of the unique angle of this memoir, I asked Keith a few questions about his book, Goodwill Tour: Paying It Forward.
NaNoWriMo “Winner”!
You’ve probably noticed how quiet my blog has been lately–even quieter than usual. That’s because I participated in NaNoWriMo this year. In the month of November, I wrote more than 50,000 words of a novel. First of all, let me say: WOOOOOO! I’M A WINNER! I’M AWESOME! I set out to write a what seemed like an impossible number of words last month–not to mention maintaining a full-time job, buying a new car, keeping my house clean and in good repair, celebrating […]
You (Plural): An Interview with Filmmaker David Vaipan
David Vaipan has written and directed more than seventy projects. Currently, he’s at work on a feature-length adaptation of James Joyce’s Ulysses, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and Homer’s Odyssey, titled You (Plural). Recently, he answered a few of my questions about screenwriting and the process of adapting classic literature to film.
Readathon Spring 2013
This is one of my favorite weekends of the year–Spring Readathon! I’ve got a stack of books that I hope to finish today and tomorrow. Unfortunately, I have work-work to do, but I should still get some serious reading-work done too. Here’s what’s on the menu: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (already started) Look at Me by Jennifer Egan (already started) Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich Orphan […]
Plympton Cashes In on Tradition
I recently met Jennifer 8. Lee at a journalism conference. Lee is a reporter who launched Plympton, a digital publisher of serial fiction, with co-founder Yael Goldstein Love. In predicting publishing’s future, Lee and Love have looked to the past and drawn inspiration from serialized authors such as Dickens, Flaubert and Conrad.
Nonfiction Book Group at One More Page
I’m excited to announce that I am now the leader of the Nonfiction Book Group at Arlington’s One More Page Books & More, one of my favorite places in the world. We’ll meet on the second Monday of every month, beginning tomorrow at 7 pm. My first selection is Boomerang: Travels in the Third World by Michael Lewis. I know this is late notice, but I would love to see supporters of my blog attend the group. Even if you haven’t read the book–I’ll bring […]
Read Like a Writer: Join the Club
I’ve contributed to the wonderful Literature and Libation, which is run by my classmate and good friend Oliver Gray. Check out the post, and don’t forget to subscribe to his blog–he’s got some very solid advice for writers! So you want to be a writer? Join the club. The book club, that is. If you are serious about writing, start reading. Whether you want to write fiction or nonfiction, articles or trilogies, you need to be aware of what else is out […]
Reading Challenges in 2013
It’s that time of year again: Time to survey the new year ahead of us and dream about all of the wonderful books we’ll read and the places we’ll go. I’m already planning four international and three domestic trips this year, which I’ll be writing about here. And how better to keep entertained on those long flights than with books? Goodreads Reading Goal: 50 Books This year, I’m setting a more reasonable goal for the 2013 Goodreads Reading Challenge: 50 books. After […]
Melody Schreiber 