For Writers

I’m trying to get started on another work of fiction, now The Violets of Usambara is safely published. It’s likely to include some musicians as characters and so I’ve been combining work and pleasure this summer by reading novels where music is a major element. Two of the best so far are Mark Salzman’s The Soloist and Anne Patchett’s Bel Canto The latter I particularly liked, because it evokes just how music can move people with an adventure story which gives a most interesting look at an... Read Full Story

Got the editorial corrections for The Walkable City: From Haussmann’s Boulevards to Jane Jacobs’ Streets and Beyond on the weekend. Rather nice to see that the editor hasn’t proposed any major changes—at least so far. I’m into the fourth chapter, however, and even though Simon Dardick, the publisher, has said both he and the editor like the book a lot, it’s possible that I may find some contentious suggestions ahead. You never know… We’re shooting for a mid-September publication date... Read Full Story

Writers write, and we like to think we do it well. But sometimes what we were taught in writing classes and have learned from reading will mean death in online media. This is because the medium is so vastly different and people have different needs from the new media than they did from the old. Here… Continue reading Read Full Story

Distorted light from an average day in spring shone upon Ginger’s face in multi-color. She knelt before the priest as he traced a cross of ash across her forehead. She flinched, then held herself steady as the image completed itself, her face a canvas for the priest’s perverse art. When he had finished, she stood and returned to her pew. Ginger grew constantly, her legs easily stretching her higher and higher, befitting a model and budding star. It’s not difficult to imagine more than a... Read Full Story

Are you a twin, the parent of twins, related to twins, acquainted with twins or just simply fascinated with twins? If so, you’re sure to have an inspirational, humorous, or touching story about this relationship! As editor of the upcoming Chicken Soup for the Soul: Twins and More, I am looking for stories and poems that highlight the special bond that twins share, the joys and challenges of raising twins, the unique circumstances of their arrival, the “double trouble” that twins get into... Read Full Story