Archive for April 2014
My boy and me
My sister has been organizing our childhood photos. Sadly, there aren’t that many. There are probably more photos of my children on my phone than exist from my entire boyhood. She stumbled upon this one and sent it to me along with a photo of my son, noting that we look almost exactly alike when…
Read More24 thoughts from my weekend at Booktopia
Elysha and I spent the weekend in Vermont at Booktopia, a weekend retreat for listeners of Books on the Nightstand that brings readers and authors together in a unique experience. It’s our favorite weekend of the year. Here are some thoughts from the weekend. 1. It is impossible to predict where the idea for an…
Read MoreSo much for Mommy and Daddy…
Elysha and I are in Vermont for our yearly Booktopia retreat. Do you think our children miss us at all?
Read MoreIf no one believes your lie, what’s the point?
North Korean reports that dictator Kim Jong-un has been “reelected” with 100 percent of the vote. Kim also won every single vote in his district on Mount Paekdu with 100 percent turnout. I understand the value of propaganda, but wouldn’t it make more sense to have your propaganda sound believable? Or at least mildly plausible?…
Read MoreMy novels are ruining geometry class and destroying readers. The unexpected benefits of publishing a book.
This week I have heard from readers in Germany, Italy, Belgium, Mexico and Portugal. I also heard from a teenager in Ohio who convinced her geometry teacher to read Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend and then managed to turn her math class into an English class for a day. I love that. I feel so…
Read MoreUpcoming speaking gigs
In the event you would like to hear me blather on and on, the following are some of my upcoming speaking events: April 16: Moth StorySLAM at Housing Works in NYC (no guarantee that I will take the stage). Doors open at 7:00. Stories begin at 7:30. April 17: World Book Night in Attleboro, MA…
Read MoreIntelligent disobedience
If a guide dog judges that a command is unsafe, it will refuse the command. This is called “intelligent disobedience.” I like this. I have been known to be disobedient from time to time. Next time I’m called out for it, I’m going to argue that I was merely exercising “intelligent disobedience.” See where that…
Read MoreA good life
How do I break the news to him that it may never get any better than this?
Read MoreEarly morning warriors (or lunatics)
I wake up between 4:00 and 5:00 every day and am writing shortly thereafter. This morning I was out of bed at 4:10. My brother texts me every morning around 5:00. He wakes up a little earlier than that to get ready for work. He’s typically in his office (by choice) by 6:00. This morning…
Read MoreCheerios and a tower
When I was a little boy, I would spend my mornings eating Wheaties and Corn Flakes and reading and re-reading the cereal boxes. Eventually I graduated to the newspaper, the encyclopedia (A-M only), the Bible and any other reading material that I could get my hands on. This looks like a much better way to…
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