Is writing books still worth the effort? I know writers at every level who are asking that question, from new writers I meet at writers conferences to authors with multiple published books. This week I will make a case against writing a book, and next week I will make a case in favor of it. Please jump in with your …
Should Authors Value Fans Only—Or Do They Also Need Opponents?
In this era when authors are expected to spend much of their time seeking the approval of readers—by “building a platform,” doing blog tours, conducting interviews, and praying for 5-star Amazon reviews—it may be helpful to look at how writers of an earlier generation used opposition to their work to make themselves better writers. My friend and colleague Diana Glyer …
The Best Discipline I Ever Followed: One Hard Thing a Day
On any given day, certain tasks loom before me that I really don’t want to do. I’m not referring to bothersome but routine chores that are merely unpleasant. I’m talking instead about things I dread doing. These are actions that I know I can’t put off forever but that I can delay for a good long while. They linger on …
On the Necessity of Cultivating a Secret Life
When people hear of someone having a “secret life” or “secret self,” their first impression is probably negative. They might think of someone having an affair or extorting money from his company. They might think of a politician using secret funds to hide and mistress and a baby. But a secret life—or lives—doesn’t have to mean hiding something illicit. I …
An English Professor Explains the Appeal of WWE Wrestling
Earlier this year I taught T.S. Eliot’s poetry to my college students in the morning and attended WWE’s Monday Night Raw that night. I enjoyed both. I wouldn’t call myself a fan of WWE wrestling, but my 12-year-old daughter loves it, and I have taken her to some of the big WWE events in Los Angeles and San Diego, including …
Why I Don’t Watch Movies Based on Books I Care About
I have never seen The Lord of the Rings movies and probably never will. Whenever I have mentioned this to anyone, the most common response is, “But they’re so good.” The fact that they’re good makes me want to see them even less. Why? I read the books many years ago, and the experience was so powerful that I walked …
Why Bible Writers Would Have a Hard Time Finding a Publisher Today
It is often said that the Bible is the all-time bestselling book, but it achieved that status in a much earlier publishing era. What would happen if the Bible were submitted as a new book to a publisher today? I imagined how an editor trained in today’s publishing realities might respond to it: Dear Writer: I have read your manuscript …
No Ordinary Blog—I Hope
Consider these three very different questions: Is literature still necessary in an era when we have video games and Facebook to bring us together and make us feel not so alone? Is there any question more disturbing for me to hear from students than, “Do we have to know this?,” as if the goal is to keep their brains free …
Coming Soon!
Come back soon for the launch of my new blog!