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grin and bare it

A blog by Matthew Dicks

Loving librarians

By Matthew Dicks | June 2, 2009

Thanks to my blessed Google alerts, I discovered some librarians chatting favorably about Something Missing. I can’t express how simultaneously surreal and rewarding it is to find strangers online discussing a story that you made…

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Another review!

By Matthew Dicks | June 1, 2009

And a great one, too.  This one is from the June 1 issue of  Kirkus Reviews, a “respected, authoritative pre-publication review source within the literary and film industries,” according to Wikipedia. I’m new to the…

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Solving problems

By Matthew Dicks | May 28, 2009

My wife recently described my writing process like this: You approach writing like you approach life: As a problem solver. You create complex and elaborate problems for your characters, and then, after you’ve gotten them…

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Second review!

By Matthew Dicks | May 26, 2009

The second review of Something Missing was forwarded to me today, a starred review (the highest praise a book can receive in this publication) in the June 1 issue of Booklist Magazine.  Even more positive…

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First review

By Matthew Dicks | May 25, 2009

My first review came out today in Publisher’s Weekly. Though it contains some criticism which I will attempt to process over the coming days, the review is quite positive and very exciting. Something Missing Matthew…

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My new hero

By Matthew Dicks | May 25, 2009

Anonymous, brilliant, and brave.

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Latest adventures with my book club

By Matthew Dicks | May 24, 2009

I’m a member of a book club that I enjoy very much. We are currently reading Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago. It was chosen by my wife, Elysha, who views her opportunity to choose…

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Much improved

By Matthew Dicks | May 22, 2009

Just after complaining about my ability to write dialogue, I receive an email from a friend who just finished reading a draft of Unexpectedly, Milo: “Finished the book last week.  It’s a good story –…

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New Yorker insider

By Matthew Dicks | May 21, 2009

Dan Baum has been twittering about his brief career as a staff writer at the New Yorker, and it is fascinating for anyone interested in the literary world and learning more about how freelance writers…

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Two. Period.

By Matthew Dicks | May 19, 2009

In the recent debate over how many spaces should come after a period, I unequivocally come down on the side of two. In the words of this blog’s author, “Taking the extra space away from…

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