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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Some really dumb speaking advice
Someone told my client that you shouldn’t become emotional onstage when speaking or performing because it denies the audience an opportunity to feel things for Read More
First day of school again!
Today is my 26th first day of school. In a couple of hours, I will meet my next batch of 21 students. This will bring Read More
“You can do it, Duffy Moon”
My friend, Kaia, and I were sitting at a picnic table beside a lake, struggling to gain access to a Google account. It was making Read More
Epanding and dabbling and in some cases, excelling
Amongst Charlie’s many pursuits, photography has become a passion. We recently visited a camera store in Hartford, where he bought a used Canon SLR camera Read More
Respect for these people
While vacationing in Quebec City, we took a scenic train ride north to a small Canadian town filled with art galleries, lovely little shops, and Read More
Trump’s stupidity about wind turbines
Donald Trump believes a lot of stupid things. He believes that “the human body is like a battery, with a finite amount of energy, which Read More
You didn’t learn to write
A serious question: When you were taught to write, did your teacher or professor ever instruct you on how to: Engage your reader? Entertain your Read More
Something to smile about
Sometimes we all need a story to warm our hearts. This is it. In a Madison, Wisconsin pond, a pair of sandhill cranes returned to Read More
Thoughts from Canada
A few random observations from our recent vacation to Montreal and Quebec City: The official language of the province of Quebec, where both cities are Read More
Wouldn’t make a grilled cheese
While visiting Quebec City, we ate dinner at a restaurant known for its incredible shepherd’s pie. The shepherd’s pie was excellent. It was exactly the Read More
I don’t need this
“Really?” was my thought when I stepped up to these urinals in Quebec City and was greeted with this image. I appreciate it when businesses Read More
Pilot message
When I boarded the plane in Philadelphia yesterday for the second leg of my trip to Traverse City, Michigan, the plane was incredibly hot. I Read More
The greatness of the half-entrée
I’m sure a restaurateur or chef will explain why this idea is unrealistic, unprofitable, and stupid, but I don’t care. It’s not. It’s a great Read More
What makes an American?
A recent YouGov poll asked Americans, “What makes an American?” The most agreed-upon characteristic? “Obeys US laws.” Not my first choice, but not a bad Read More
“Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend” — the song!
A band named Soup wrote and recorded a song titled “Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend,” based upon my novel of the same name. Twelve years Read More
Just another tree. Kind of.
On our hike to Montmorency Falls in Quebec, Elysha stopped us on the trail to point out this tree, just on the edge of the Read More
“That’s my time”
A bit of advice for all comics or performers of any kind: The last three words that you speak onstage should never be, “That’s my Read More
Walking in the footsteps of my grandparents
We were vacationing in Quebec City for about three days when it finally hit me: This is where my mother’s side of the family lived Read More
