Archive for April 2012
Reflections on Booktopia 2012
Elysha and I spent the weekend in Manchester, Vermont at Booktopia, a book retreat organized and run by the the inestimable Ann Kingman and Michael Kindness, the hosts of the podcast Books on the Nightstand. It is a weekend of conversation with readers and fellow authors, and it is one of our favorite weekends of…
Read MorePebbles
My daughter, for reasons I don’t quite understand, loves rocks. If she sees a large rock, she tries to pick it up. If she sees small rocks, she picks through them, collecting the ones she likes best. Maybe she is on a path to becoming a geologist, which would be fine. Geologist’s salaries are on…
Read MoreGratitude journal: Reunion
Tonight is easy. Though the list of things that I am thankful for tonight is long, one stands out above the rest. After four days apart, the longest separation I have ever had from my three-year old daughter, I am grateful that we are together again. Elysha and I had a wonderful weekend in Vermont,…
Read MoreOn the topic of book covers: Recommended listening and recommended viewing
If you love books, you should already be listening to the wonderful Books on the Nightstand podcast: But if you haven’t started listening yet, this week’s episode features a discussion about my recent post about book covers that is worthy of a listen, and hopefully it will get you hooked on this outstanding podcast. Host…
Read MoreMy recent NYC visit included a fibrous hymen, a visit with a fictional character and a heart wrenching betrayal by a friend.
I spent last Thursday in New York City. Oftentimes a single day in the city feels like three by the time I leave, and Thursday was no exception. When I am in the city, I like to get a lot done. A few notes from that day: 1. My first stop was MacMillan Audio, where…
Read MoreGratitude journal: Avoiding the math
Tonight I am grateful for anyone who is willing to take charge of the check when I am dining with a large group. On Friday night, it was Melissa Klug, who convinced a less-than-enthusiastic waiter to divide the check amongst a table of twelve people, thus simplifying the after-dinner math considerably. Last night it was…
Read MoreFoiled!
I had registered Elysha for this weekend’s book retreat as “Matt’s Dutiful Wife.” When we arrived, I found this instead:
Read MoreWisdom above a toilet
It’s not often that I find a poster above a toilet that so completely defines my existential crisis and how it shapes my writing career:
Read MoreGratitude journal: More than just babysitters
Tonight I am grateful to my in-laws, who are spending the weekend with my daughter while Elysha and I attend a literary retreat in Vermont. Had they stuck Clara in front of the television with a bowl of Cheetos for a weekend-long marathon of The Wonder Pets marathon, I would have been grateful, but Barbara…
Read MoreThe Moth: The Freak
This Moth StorySlam performance took place on November 28, 2011 at The Bitter End. The topic of the evening was Freaks. I wasn’t entirely pleased with this performance. A GPS failure had sent us to Queens instead of the East Village, so we arrived at The Bitter End about 30 seconds before the show was…
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