There’s something you want to do. Something you want to make. A thing nobody has ever seen before. A thing that will never exist unless you create it, not in the form it takes in your mind. But you’re not making it. You don’t have the time. You rise before dawn, get out the door, […]
Not really. But sometimes I forget. Sometimes, when I read his work; or when I hear the hypnotic rhythms of his voice, the way he enunciates every word without seeming to make an effort, the way he lingers on his final consonants; or when I let myself think about all the work he’s done in […]
I’ve spent a lot of time lately feeling sorry for myself. Because at the rate I’m going, given the amount of time and energy I have to spend here and on my other creative projects–I’m unlikely ever to make the kind of impact on the world I’ve always dreamed of. Of course, I’m even less […]
I can’t control whether anybody reads this blog. I can’t control whether you tell anybody about this post after you read it. I can’t make anybody buy my book, and I can’t ensure anybody will like it even if they do. I can’t force a publisher to take on the book I’m working on right […]
It’s been a week. A week since I voted for Clinton and lost. A week to process what this election and the next four years might mean to my country, to discuss it with my family and friends, to reflect on what’s important. A week to watch the aftermath of the most divisive election I’ve […]
At its best, the Army takes good care of soldiers. And at its worst, it abuses them with impunity. This story broke for many of us this week, but the soldiers affected have been dealing with it for years now. Here’s the short version: From 2006 to 2008, desperate to keep good soldiers in, the […]
I recently read Ryan Holiday’s new book Ego Is the Enemy. I found it a fascinating read, filled with insight on how to achieve what we want without losing sight of who we are. He uses historical figures to illustrate his points: this one remained true to himself, allowing his name to fade after his […]
A friend of mine killed herself last week. I don’t know why; I hadn’t seen her in years, and she wasn’t one to share the details of her despair on Facebook. I know she was distraught the last time I saw her, unable to let go of a wrong someone she loved had done her. […]
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. — The Constitution of the United States, First Amendment We […]
In the fall of 2013, I was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer. As cancers go, I was pretty lucky: I needed no chemo or radiation. A skilled surgeon removed it with about a third of my colon, it has not returned, and now I get to make writer jokes about having a semicolon. It […]