My sister was dying. She was in hospice care. I’d just finished visiting her. She had only a couple days left. My cheeks were red with tears as I walked through the lobby.* Someone, I don’t even remember who, waved and walked over, slapped me on the back and asked, “Hey, how you doing?” My …
Tag: writing
Winnowing Out the Bad Words
Every writer makes a transition in which he goes from being bold and erratic to precise and accurate. I don’t mean facts. It’s the words, stupid. It used to be the economy back before it became a football to be tossed back and forth between political parties. Everyone has memories that cause shudders of regret. …
Consequences of a Crazy World
What if it is discovered, oh, in a decade or so, that the smartest people are the ones in prison because they aren’t allowed to use Twitter? What if the language changes, veering in the direction of mindless simplicity by means of the use of “u” instead of “you,” “2” instead of “to” or “too” …
A Book, the Highlights of Which Were …
Sometimes reading is a pleasure. Sometime it is more an investment. At the moment, I’m fairly racing through Frank Deford’s Over Time: My Life as a Sportswriter. He’s been my favorite writer of sports since I read his first novel, Cut ‘n’ Run, when I was about 15. I’ve been using a highlighter, as if …
Mainly Running in Place
Last week I was driving through the middle of town, traffic slowed down to a crawl, and I looked to my left where the owner of a new Chinese restaurant was standing on the other side of the window, holding his smiling little boy. The toddler was giggling. I waved at him. He waved back. …
At Least I’m Writing This
I might as well admit it. I’m in a bit of a slump. Or maybe it’s a rut. My wheels are spinning. Sand, perhaps. I’m lapping away. I have a picture of where my writing needs to go. It’s just in soft focus. I’m getting Monet when I need a stark, black and white photograph. …
Just Another Motel Morning
When I walked into the lobby, my first impression was that the woman was mentally deficient. The second was that she was emotionally unbalanced. The third was that she was chemically unbalanced. Valentine’s Day is not all sweetness and light. According to the woman behind the desk, the biggest bunch of drunks you ever saw …
Practical Rules of Writing
These are not practical tips in terms of serious. Lots of readers might be pissed because they clicked on this expecting something that really helps their writing. This is meant to be practically funny. Of course, whether it succeeds or not depends on the reaction of each reader. Some who are humorless will read this …
Suddenly Crazy for Coffee
I’d hate to face the barren waste without a cup of coffee. Hot, black, coffee (coffee). I apologize for besmirching the reputation of the Sons of the Pioneers and, for that matter, water. Cool, clear, water (water). For the majority of my life, I didn’t drink coffee. Then I started drinking it on those rare …
A Relic Am I
I’m not getting any smarter, but at least I continue to be educated. As tempting as it is to do nothing but make snappy posts on Facebook and Twitter, somehow I’ve managed not to succumb to the developing cultural profile of knowing a little about a lot and a lot about nothing. This is the …
Nightrider's Lament 