There's lots of stuff I've been wanting to write about.  Teaching (fun and challenging).  Hollins (lovely and friendly).  The books I've been reading (joining the happy chorus on Linnets and Valerians).  But the other thing about teaching (particularly when it's been years since I actually taught a real course, and never a creative writing course) ( Read more... )

Years ago, I remember reading a story in which a girl disguises herself as a man in order to fulfill a quest, in the course of which another girl falls in love with her.  At the end of the story, the heroine is granted one wish, which is to become a man indeed.  I thought it was "The Satin Surgeon," but I just re-read that story, and it so isn't.  ( Read more... )

Because I'd like to read some actual comments which are not links to cool new escort services, I thought I'd post this video, which my Cousin Walter sent to me.  The reason you haven't been hearing much from me is that I've been up to here in getting settled into my first reasonably long-term (6 weeks) teaching gig since I quit teaching full-time ( Read more... )

The Clarion application period is here!  It's time to dig out those promising first drafts and start rewriting them.   Because, if you get in, you get to work with some of the most inspiring teachers and best mentors in the business.  If you don't, well, then you've finished a story and put yourself out there, and there are many people out there ( Read more... )

Out with the Old, in with the New!

Now that the Clarion Class of 2010 has critiqued its last story, dyed Jeff VanderMeer's hair purple, and is preparing to scatter to three continents and I can't even remember how many states, it's time to turn our attention to Clarion 2011.

The teacher line-up is fantastic:

Week One:  Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Week Two:  ( Read more... )

I'm home.  I have been home since Sunday night, but yesterday was a day of sleep and exercise and an afternoon nap and watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, plus all the extras, followed by Becoming Jane, followed by more sleep.

The Clarionites are forbidden to blog about their experience while it happens, so all I'll say is that it was an awesome week ( Read more... )

Clarion San Diego is open for submissions!

For those of you who don't know, Clarion is a boot camp Master Class of speculative fiction writing, taught by writers who have labored in the fields of professional writing and teaching and love what they're doing.  This year, I'm one of them, to be followed by George R.R. Martin, Dale Baley, Samuel R. ( Read more... )

Friday was our Hollins University gig as guest speakers for their Masters/MFA program in Children's Literature ( Read more... )

All kinds of things I want to blog:

1) Anthony and Cleopatra at Theatre for a New Audience. Despite the fact that Anthony mumbled rather, and we came in late (which ruined Cleopatra's jealous fit for me, since I hadn't got my ear adjusted to the poetry yet), a wonderful production. Octavian and Anthony were played as absolute opposites: ( Read more... )

A lovely city. There's a second-hand/new bookstore across the street from the First Baptist Church, where Ellen & Co. are rehearsing and performing the live radio play, "The Witches of Lublin--a feminist, magical-realist, historical tale of a 17th century women's klezmer band in Poland, written by Ellen and Elizabeth Schwartz and Yale Strom (with a ( Read more... )