Writing
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Terrible Poem Breakdown: An Apologia (and What They Knew #16-24)
Yesterday we started the new series Terrible Poem Breakdown, in which I criticized a Terrible Poem primarily for its negativity. I’ve had it pointed out to me that this may be somewhat hypocritical, coming from me. This blog has not exactly been moondreams and rainbows. Readers, I’ve been trying to be encouraging! And yet I… Continue reading
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Writing Advice from Will Ferrell’s Dad
Okay, the title is a bit of a stretch. Will Ferrell’s father, a professional musician for thirty or forty years, was actually talking about show business. But his advice is applicable to all creative endeavors and every writer should hear it. Ferrell told the story about his dad on Marc Maron’s podcast (which I’ve recommended… Continue reading
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My Dante, Part II
Yesterday I gave my advice for how to enjoy Dante and proposed a new translation. Today I put myself to the test, to see whether my approach to translating Dante is superior to the recent (highly accomplished) verse of Clive James and Mary Jo Bang. Before we get to that, let me emphasize again the… Continue reading
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Dante in Translation
In my shout-out to Graywolf press yesterday I neglected to mention their well-received edition of Dante, translated by the accomplished poet Mary Jo Bang. Writing in The New York Review of Books, Robert Pogue Harrison makes a strong case for Bang’s translation over the recent Clive James version. It does sound better. But frankly I’m not sure either is… Continue reading
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Small Press Shout-Out: Graywolf Press!
Graywolf Press! We’ve looked at some great small presses recently (including the smokin’ hot Kaya Press and the medieval throwbacks over at Tiny TOE). Soho Press made me want to buy a bundle of international crime fiction for everyone I know. But Graywolf… ah, Graywolf makes me want to move to Minnesota! You know Minnesota – the… Continue reading
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More Free Fiction: The Race by Jacke Wilson
More free fiction below… Enjoy! – Jacke The Race: A Novella Excerpt from Chapter Seven When I was young, my class took a field trip to the Museum of Science and Industry. On the way back from Chicago we stopped at a McDonald’s, and along with the meal everyone received a Monopoly game piece. It… Continue reading
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Ordering Adjectives
Hmm. You’d think I’d have already known that adjectives in English follow a precise, well-defined order: Opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose-noun. So you can have a lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife. But if you mess with that word order in the slightest you’ll sound like a maniac. But then again, maybe not. After all, according… Continue reading
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What They Knew #16
(As a followup to yesterday’s post about Marc Maron’s mid-career renaissance…) “If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud.” – Émile Zola Continue reading
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What They Knew #15
In honor of yesterday’s post about the great city of London… “Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” — Samuel Johnson Continue reading
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What They Knew #14
“Everything intelligent is so boring.” ― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina Continue reading
Jacke Wilson 