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Kafka: The Videogame
Definitely will need to get this when it comes out… Continue reading
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National Nightmare Alert: Why Haiku Fails in America
Still thinking about yesterday’s Terrible Poem Breakdown entry, which I compared to haiku, which led me to think about the role of haiku in America. Haiku in America is terrible and I think I know why. I don’t mean there aren’t (a small number of) Americans who truly get haiku. There is some good haiku Continue reading
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Small Press Shout-Outs: Last Call for the Holidays!
With a week left until the Great Opening of The Presents Day, just a very quick reminder of all the holiday gift ideas we’ve had here lately: Equip your favorite spy (or spy wannabe) with the Passport to Crime bundle from Soho Press Drop into a fluffy Minnesota snowdrift with Graywolf Press (and see if Continue reading
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Three Bits of Holiday Cheer
Okay, enough with the bad news. The doom and gloom. The oh-so-bleak writing. Let’s bring ourselves into the proper mood for a December post! How about this? And this? Or this? We’re getting there, people… turning things around… and check back tomorrow for (hopefully) some good news from Jacke… some developments brewing… Continue reading
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Killer Stories
Yesterday we talked about George Carlin and training your brain to be your creative partner. Which got me to thinking about the new novella I’m working on, which starts out bleak and just gets darker and darker. It felt good to write it – not unlike the purgation of negativity I recently attempted on this Continue reading
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Your Brain in Action
Larry Getlen at Splitsider just posted an excerpt of a never-before-released interview with the brilliant comedian George Carlin. Carlin describes something about the brain that I think most people have experienced and recognized in themselves. But his description of how it affects his creative process may be the best I’ve ever read: [M]y mind has Continue reading
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Writer in Your Life? The Greatest Gift Idea Ever
Great Paris Review interview with the amazing Ursula K. Le Guin. Two quick points: Le Guin mentions getting an early boost from Ace Doubles, a series by Ace Publishing that sought to put out two short novels combined in one book. I love this idea – and what great covers they had! Worth a roam through the Continue reading
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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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Three Bits of Holiday Cheer
Okay, enough with the bad news. The doom and gloom. The oh-so-bleak writing. Let’s bring ourselves into the proper mood for a December post! How about this? And this? Or this? We’re getting there, people… turning things around… and check back tomorrow for (hopefully) some good news from Jacke… some developments brewing… Continue reading
Jacke Wilson 