10/9/16 “City of Angels, Dave Eggers, and Welcome Autumn”
Los Angeles is not my city. Still, I made the most of it this past week while I was stuck there Monday through Friday for business. Despite being a concrete jungle in the middle of a desert, there is some really cool literary history in this city. Check out this map from the L.A. Times to explore it yourself.
9/22/16 “Emperor of Ice Cream, Self-Published Novels, and Silly Faces”
Yesterday, a cold and rainy day, my wife and I had ice cream for lunch. How postmodern of us – whatever that means. In other ice cream related news (with a literary bent), Wallace Stevens, author of the poem “Emperor of Ice Cream,” was born 137 years ago today. Here’s a fun article about him in The New Yorker.
I promised to stay in touch, so here are some updates for you…
9/22/16 “Michael Doane’s Debut Novel, Writing Advice, and a Big Thanks to Supporters”
It’s been awhile since I’ve been in touch, but a lot has happened this summer. You may be an old read, or you may be new to the site. Some of you I’ve met at recent events through HCPL, in Baltimore, or even a random encounter at the airport. 🙂
When I was getting serious about writing a few years ago, I thought that if I kept at it, I’d eventually get “discovered.” A lot of authors think this starting out.
We picture ourselves toiling away at our art until suddenly a publisher appears from the shadows and sees the genius. “Ah ha! You’re what the world’s been waiting for!” And poof… we’re the next Steinbeck or Rowling or King.
When Phillip Pullman resigned his patronage of the Oxford Literary Festival, he took a stand for all authors. Think about it: authors are the bread and butter of lit conferences. The wait staff, the AV guys, everyone else gets paid. Why shouldn’t writers who are invited to share their expertise and provide valuable content to the organizers get paid too?