Category Archives: details

volt

Posted on January 26, 2012 by

I want to slow things down. I was planning on writing a post on several stories in Alan Heathcock‘s debut collection, Volt, but I think I’ll just look at the first story. “The Staying Freight”–I love the title–was first published … Continue reading →

Posted in catching moments, character, Contrary, craft of writing, details, first sentences, stories | Tagged | 5 Comments

christmas magic 2011

Posted on December 22, 2011 by

If you can find twenty minutes, you can listen to Dylan Thomas’ story ”A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” read by the author–courtesy of NPR.  The written story is also available online. Thomas grounds the story of this long-ago Christmas in real details–snow and fire … Continue reading →

Posted in details, memory, the day | Tagged | 5 Comments

to do today

Posted on September 12, 2011 by

write blog post read over 5 pages of novel-details (every day 5 pages) make airline reservations for Oct trip to California out buy birthday gifts (8 birthdays in 10 days in sept) exercise grocery (supper!) make copy of photo call … Continue reading →

Posted in craft of writing, details, the day, time | Tagged | 8 Comments

await your reply 3: repetition with new detail

Posted on August 17, 2011 by

In Await Your Reply, published in 2009, Dan Chaon uses repetition in a very cool way. Instead of bogging down the original scene, he pushes the action forward first, then a bit later, moves in for a close-up or two, … Continue reading →

Posted in Contrary, craft of writing, details, novels | Tagged | 3 Comments

await your reply 1: three threads

Posted on August 15, 2011 by

From the first page of Dan Chaon‘s novel: On the seat beside him, in between him and his father, Ryan’s severed hand is resting on a bed of ice in an eight-quart Styrofoam cooler. Enough said? Dan Chaon’s second novel … Continue reading →

Posted in Contrary, craft of writing, details, novels, recurring images, structure | Tagged | 7 Comments

VCFA visuals #2: the old victorian

Posted on July 9, 2011 by

where I started each of the eleven days… and where I returned each of the eleven nights…

Posted in details, form, journeys, mfa, perspective, photo stories, place, shapes | Tagged | 7 Comments

things we think with

Posted on April 17, 2011 by

Sherry Turkle asked scientists, humanists, artists, and designers to “trace the power of objects in their lives, objects that connect them to ideas and people.” In Evocative Objects: Things We Think With, published in 2007, you’ll find thirty-four essays on objects such as … Continue reading →

Posted in accumulation, books, Contrary, details, reviews | Tagged | 9 Comments

blog bones

Posted on February 12, 2011 by

In the past week, several different readers have commented that either they didn’t know there was a list of all the writers in the How We Spend Our Days series or that they didn’t know what I was talking about … Continue reading →

Posted in details, form, obsession, shapes, structure | Tagged | 4 Comments

the third residency

Posted on January 20, 2011 by

Already the third of five has come and gone… Time’s a goon, right? Wednesday, December 29, 2010: As usual, the 3:oo general meeting kicks the residency off. At 3:15 we each meet with our class. This is my critical thesis … Continue reading →

Posted in catching moments, craft of writing, details, journeys, mfa, schedules | Tagged | 13 Comments

scenes from my study

Posted on December 12, 2010 by
Posted in accumulation, books, details, life, the day, time | Tagged | 8 Comments