Archive for July 2017
I was offered a full scholarship at Yale, and I passed.
Yesterday Elysha and I spoke about storytelling, creativity, writing, and more to students on the campus of Yale University. Later, I performed at The Schubert, a large and beautiful theater adjacent to the campus. In the last couple years, I’ve spent a lot of time at Yale. For each of the last three years, I’ve…
Read MoreA whole lot of beauty
There are days when a little bit of beauty is just the thing you need to bring wonder and joy back to your soul. This is so much more than a little bit of beauty.
Read MoreI am successful because I am white.
I recently spoke to a large group of young people. I told stories from my life, imparted a few bits of wisdom, and took some questions. One of the young ladies asked me how I was able to pull myself out of homelessness and poverty and become a successful person when so many others struggle…
Read MoreThinking is a part of the writing process, damn it
I was teaching storytelling last week at Miss Porter’s School. I sent the girls off for an hour to write and craft their stories, and when they returned, I asked them how they did. “Not good at all,” one of the girls said. When I asked why, she explained that she spent the first 30…
Read MoreThis is how every employee should be treated
When web developer Madalyn Parker took two days of sick leave to tend to her mental health, she emailed her colleagues letting them know where she’d be. To Madalyn’s surprise, the CEO of her company, Ben Congleton, responded to her email with what can only be described as an unfortunately surprising response. If you…
Read MoreEleven years of marriage today!
Elysha and I celebrated eleven years of marriage yesterday. I always tell her that it feels to me like we’ve only been married a couple years. She said it feels like the full eleven. We went to dinner on Friday night with friends to celebrate. It was an eventful dinner. Amongst the scintillating conversation and…
Read MoreA boy and a book in Columbia
Here is Juan Carlos. a boy in Columbia who is reading the Spanish edition of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend. His mother was kind enough to write to me about how much he loves the book and send me this photo. Yes, this is the best part about being a writer. I’m working on my…
Read MoreTrump makes my head hurt
From yesterday’s Press conference in France, Trump managed to (a) make a false claim(b) admit it may be false, then(c) continue on as if it were true. You can’t make this stuff up.
Read MoreSomeone remind my children that I pay the mortgage
Even though my kids don’t currently contribute to the mortgage, they seem to believe that they possess more control over the house than they actually do. Recent signs in my home have indicted that the first floor bathroom is now Tickle Monster Jail and a new sign on my daughter’s bedroom door (co-written by her…
Read MoreRepublican men decide that women can’t wear sleeveless dresses because they are apparently afraid of lady shoulders
In an apparent effort to establish “appropriate business attire,” House of Representatives under Speaker Paul Ryan is enforcing a dress code in the Speaker’s Lobby—a space adjacent to the front of the House chamber—that bans women from showing their shoulders. Several female reporters have already been kicked out of the lobby for wearing sleeveless dresses.…
Read More