GRIN & BARE IT
Read (and subscribe to) Grin and Bare It, my daily blog on storytelling, productivity, current events, teaching, my family, and other musings.
I have been posting to this blog every day since 2005.
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I’ve hung up my revenge shingle for anyone in need
Slate magazine is engaged in Revenge Week. Sort of like Shark Week except the focus is on revenge. And somehow, a Slate editor identified me Read More
Guys love Charlie’s love of music
On Saturday night, Charlie and I attended the Styx concert in Mansfield, Massachusetts. REO Speedwagon and Don Felder of The Eagles opened the show. It Read More
How to replicate my career
I received an email last week from a person who essentially asked, “I’d love to have your career as a storyteller and consultant. Can you Read More
ChatGPT is changing the world. Literally.
Soundslice is a company that digitizes music from photographs. A few months ago, they started noticing that users were uploading screenshots of ASCII tablature — Read More
Words can really enhance an image
Elysha and I visited the John Singer Sargent exhibit at The Met during our anniversary jaunt to New York City last week. I don’t typically Read More
It’s just a park.
I was walking with a client to a restaurant for dinner when she pointed at a large, grassy field in the park and said, “I Read More
Some good customer service news
Over the past month, I’ve written about some unfortunate customer service situations related to hotels. One involving a Hilton in Miami. The other involves the Read More
Wedding anniversary #19
Yesterday, Elysha and I celebrated 19 years of marriage by taking a two-day getaway to New York City. Clara is entering week three of her Read More
Not a hippo
A month ago, one of my former students, for whom English is a second (and brand new) language, said: “Mr. Dicks, you look like a Read More
Fruit cocktail eaten. Promise kept.
Del Monte Foods, the 138-year-old company best known for its canned fruits and vegetables, has filed for bankruptcy and is looking for a buyer. I’m Read More
The insidiuous nature of posthumous awards
Major League Baseball commissioner Paul Manfred has revoked the permanent ineligibility of banned baseball players upon death, meaning that these deceased players are now potentially Read More
Count your blessings, and sometimes, keep your mouth shut.
Many years ago, I was standing at the copy machine at my school, waiting as it churned out homework for my students. A handful of Read More
A mistake is an opportunity to impress. Holiday Inn doesn’t understand this.
I had the pleasure of spending yesterday in Pittsburgh with an incredible company that owns and operates restaurants and food service for universities, corporate dining Read More
Peanut butter and tuna fish sandwich: MY INVENTION
Marco Sumayao of Chowhound writes about the peanut butter and tuna fish sandwich: “The origins of the sandwich itself are difficult to trace. Author Matthew Read More
Careless whispers everywhere
I’m in the car with Elysha, Charlie, and my friend, Kaia. We’re listening to music as we make our way to Winding Trails, the lake Read More
Angeli’s Moth victory!
I received an email from one of my clients, Angeli Fitch, this week, along with some photos. It read: I got lucky…I WON! Also: My Read More
“Storyworthy” in Spanish!
Behold! The Spanish version of “Storyworthy,” which translates to “The Art of Storytelling.” Available in bookstores in Spanish-speaking nations soon! My books have been published Read More
A different kind of airline passenger
On the flight back from Miami, I found myself sitting beside a couple — a man and a woman, probably in their thirties. I was Read More
Thoughts on today’s Fourth of July
I’ll never understand the fascination of some people with lighting their own fireworks, which are always subpar in comparison to the real thing and occasionally Read More
Banter is beautiful
A while ago, I teased a student at my school. Perhaps I was a little too mean. In response, a handful of my students demanded Read More
