On Writing
Creating a Scene with Charles Baxter
One of my favorite sections in Charles Baxter’s The Art of Subtext: Beyond Plot is “Creating a Scene.” Baxter points out that “In daily life, a writer may practice conflict-avoidance, but in fiction a writer must welcome conflict and walk straight into it.” I was reminded of this recently when I avoided in real life…
Read MoreThe Big Picture, Loose Ends, and the Dream Deferred at the L.A. Times Festival of Books
At the L.A. Times Festival of Books held April 21 and 22 on the USC campus, I was at the author table at the Philippine Expressions Bookshop booth for two hours each on Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the time was mine to visit other booths, laze in the sun and listen to music…
Read MoreSmall Presses, Big Pleasures
While there are exceptions, it’s rare that short story collections are published by the large presses. Thank goodness for small presses, without which readers would not have the vast pleasure of short story collections such as the ones I’ll mention here. Here are three small press story collections I’ve read in the last year that…
Read MoreAbout Cheryl Strayed’s WILD
I don’t often read memoir. I’m primarily a reader of fiction, drawn to imagined characters whose stories, when artfully told, hit you in the gut with your own fears, desires, and missteps. (Brief digression to laud the most recent work of fiction I’ve read—the beautifully rendered stories in This is Not Your City by Caitlin…
Read MoreReading and Writing in San Diego
When I was in San Diego last month to participate in the Kartika Review reading and fundraiser (which, by the way, was a total blast), I decided to attend the San Diego State University Writers’ Conference happening that weekend. It’s one of those conferences that offer sessions on craft and publishing as well as opportunities…
Read MoreThe Necessity of a Bike
This is the profundity I have arrived at when it comes to writing residencies: there must be a bike. I go to residencies for the same reason as others—to have some extended, focused periods of writing. Normally, my writing time is limited to an hour or so in the evening and lunch hours during the…
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