Tag: writing
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Field Note: Dana Gioia on the Benefits of Reading Literature
I’ve long wondered about the actual benefits of reading literature. When I was a high school English teacher, my students would ask me what the purpose was of reading plays, poems, and novels. I think I said something about understanding human nature, but I didn’t really know what that meant, nor did my answer satisfy…
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Update on Writing Process: Towards Natural Form
I’ve grown increasingly frustrated with my writing. I never finish projects, abandoning them for the next, seemingly more promising idea. Part of the problem comes from constantly changing my identity as a writer–novelist one day, poet the next, ethnographer the day after that. This constant bouncing prevents me from wading deeper into any one pursuit.…
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Writer’s Log 240408: The Power of Doing Nothing
Last week I wrote about pushing through the mind’s resistance when writing. But this week reminded me that my mind’s resistance is much stronger than I give it credit for. My usual routine is to write immediately after eating breakfast. But on Tuesday morning I gazed forlornly into my oatmeal and considered plunging my face…
The Whale Belly 