Archive

What if we spent our days walking through the kitchen, along the sidewalk, or down the grocery aisle as though we had just stepped off the plane into a much-loved land? Walking in Southeast [...]

It’s my last night in North Carolina before this “year or two on the road” technically begins. The obvious question is: How did I get here? First, I was laid off from my part-time job slinging [...]

Another cold front blew in Saturday morning with 3-5” of snow predicted for the high country. I left Celo early for the house on Fork Mountain, hoping to hike up and open the taps to keep the [...]

Preparing a syllabus and course pack for my upcoming Fiction Workshop at Interlochen, I decided to read John Gardner’s apparently sacred text: The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young [...]

Packing, moving, literally hiking myself off Fork Mountain by backpacking boxes, books, and bedding down the mountain (over ice, snow, etc.) Going to get out of town for New Year’s Eve and [...]

Take the wild blue light of the moon. Toss it into a clear night sky. Shake vigorously until the stars awaken. Hear the wind howl down the wall of the Black Mountains and lean into [...]

There’s nothing like going running to gain perspective. When the big snowstorm dumped 24” on Fork Mountain 12 days ago, I sought lower ground in Celo, where my parents live. Although the ground [...]

[I am certain the past two weeks are the longest hiatus in the history of this Writing Life Blog. I am pleased to report that my MacBook Pro survived minor surgery and safely resides upon my desk [...]

Proof that although my laptop survived minor surgery in Memphis on Wednesday and FedEx attempted delivery on Thursday, it is still not in my possession: Proof that, although FedEx is nearly [...]

[Dear Readers: My computer is being repaired so posts might be a little spotty for the next week…] Some days I think Hanshi is the best teacher I have ever crossed paths with. Other days, I [...]