My mom’s gift of gab convinced me to wear girly roller skates (1/3)
When I was 12, my mom got a pair of roller skates as a gift from a friend who had returned from Miami.
The boot was a bright white, two wheels were magenta, and the other two were fuchsia.
Rollerblades had been on my list of "Mo...
Or how simple parenting acts can drive you insane (3/3)
Eventually, my daughter gave in and let us brush her hair. Instead of the five minutes we thought it would take, it took forty-five minutes.
Sure, forty-five minutes is better than sixty minutes, but the fifteen minutes savings came at a co...
In college, I competed in college forensics, a weird word for debate and not a competition to figure out blood splatter patterns.
But to travel with the team, you needed to have other events you competed on. I did after-dinner speeches and impromptu speaking. When you watch an Impromptu compe...
Or how simple parenting acts can drive you insane (2/3)
I finally picked up my daughter and took her to her room while being kicked and punched. I soothed her and tried to calm her down before starting again. On the outside, I look calm, but I'm feeling frustrated on the side. I'm feeling frustr...
Editing and Honing the Universal in Your Story
I knew early on in my life I wanted to be a writer. Actually, I wanted to be a reader. I loved reading. But at that time, I didn't think you could get paid for that. So, I switch my dream career from reader to writer.
I wrote a lot during those tim...
Or how simple parenting acts can drive you insane
I heard the shouting, "I either brush your hair, or I cut your hair." And I thought, "Who is this asshole talking out of my mouth?"
Before I had kids, I believed I didn't need Buddhism because I embodied the dharma. I was Buddha reincarnated, the...
Free Memoir Writing Workshop Details At The End of Email
My favorite season of the year is here.
Spring.
This is when the New Year should happen. This is when the New Year used to happen until the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar.
"April Fools' Day" was created as a holiday meant to mock and...
Most of the time, I'm not thinking about whether or not I'm going to include someone in a story because when I do, it will end up being playful and in good nature.
But when an essay is a little more thorny or raw, and I feel uncomfortable about what I have to say about a person, I use a handful o...
TL;DR: it's complicated.
Tonight, I will be hosting my weekly free memoir writing workshop. Find details at the end of the email.
Last week, I hosted my free "Memoir Writing Workshop," and an attendee asked, "How much can I share about others in my stories?"
This is a difficult question to answe...
Oh, man. What is this word that I'm looking for?
What did this Miró painting evoked in me?
This painting is so...
So...
Oh, I know.
So dumb!
What a fucking dumb painting?
Listen, I have to admit to you. Sometimes, what critics call high art is just above my limited intelligence.
This canvas, whic...
Next week, I'm hosting a monthly in-person storytelling circle in Petaluma at Grand Central Coffee Shop. I'm producing this show with two friends, and one of them invited me to present it to a group of artists she guides through Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way.
I thought, "I can pitch an event a...
I recently bought Mike Sacks' "And Here is the Kicker," and when I added it to my humor writing collection on Kindle, I saw that this collection has become quite sizable.
I have been reading on writing and humor writing for over ten years. I especially like interviews with comedic writers because...
