My students today are always surprised when they discover that I used to be a singer, actually a pretty good singer. All through college and the first 15 years of my career, I sang solos, in duets and trios, and in larger groups. I also wrote music for quite a while. I chose my college … More The Bravest Thing I Ever Did
A while back this blog featured what I called The Great Adventure Manifesto, my effort to put into words what I believe and why I write what I write. I am going to take some time in coming weeks to elaborate on that document, focusing on the six points I make toward the end. I … More God’s Calling Is Only Boring If We Ignore It
You know how it goes with brilliant ideas. Sometimes there are…complications. I still think my concept of putting a low-cost e-book on the psychology of writing is a good idea. I think that the fact that I have been writing along those lines for five years in my blog is great. It’s even wonderful that … More A Complication with a Compilation
The phrase “seeing the elephant” or “he saw the elephant” makes me think of old war movies, especially ones with the British Army bivouacked in a remote area, with references to first combat. But as I research it, it actually originates in Georgia (United States) in 1835. The phrase “seeing the elephant” was originally tied … More Seeing the Elephant
When I close my eyes, I still see it standing there. It was a baby carriage, traditional looking, covered in wicker, framed in oak, trimmed in ribbon. One could tell that it was a girl from the pink blanket that hung over the side. It was the kind of baby carriage that someone in the … More “When the Bough Breaks”
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: How I Learned to Live a Better Story by Donald Miller. Thomas Nelson, 2009. 257 pages. A couple of weeks ago, the University library asked me to put together a list of five books that I would recommend to students. One of those books was Blue Like Jazz … More Review: “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years” by Donald Miller
The following is the result of an exercise on intimacy that my Narrative Writing class did this morning. I felt it was only fair that I participate in it as well. We sit on the back porch, he and I, facing the setting sun. And the irony of it does not escape me. His face … More “Sunset”
It is my privilege to teach writing in a university, something I thoroughly enjoy. This semester I am teaching a class called Narrative Writing, which is a lot of fun. We have 10 students who take turns submitting their short stories (at this point; novel pages later) for critique by the class. It’s tough to … More In Search of Intimacy
I teach a class called Writing for Publication at my university, but for me, writing is writing. I never pass up the opportunity for my students to learn something new. Part of that is simply getting them to experience life–and to write–outside their comfort zone. And so this morning, I took my students to the … More Rest in Peace
When people ask what my doctoral dissertation was on, I hesitate to tell them. The problem is that most dissertations are so obscure and so complex that by the time you have explained it, the listener’s eyes have glazed over and you realize that they have heard little of what you have said and understood … More Demons and Vampires and Zombies…oh my!
The Great Adventure 