While I was revising my second book, The Supper Club (update on that soon), I spent a lot of time last year reading and writing short stories and poetry. I wasn't quite ready to delve into the next novel, and I wanted to sharpen some skills and exercise writerly muscles I hadn't used in a while, so I wrote poems and short stories, flash fiction and ( Read more... )

My head is still spinning from last weekend’s events. I loved mulling about in such diverse creative pools of people, but that’s Chicago’s literary and art scenes-such a variety of styles and voices.


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As a last minute experiment we are going to attempt to live broadcast the readings and performances from the Conclave: A Journal of Character Release Party tonight.

The show should start around 8pm Chicago (CST) time. If you're in town, come by the Book Cellar from 7:30-10. If you're not free, check out the online broadcast!

We'll see how this works ( Read more... )

On Saturday, April 17, C2E2 hosted an Evening With Neil Gaiman at the Arie Crown Theater to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF). A colorful crowd for the Dream Experience held bags or stacks of Neil’s books, some toting small rolling suitcases filled with massive Absolute Sandman collections, waiting to be signed.

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I know that I promised a long post, and it's still coming.

Kids return to school tomorrow, details about the Conclave Journal Release Party (April 30 at Book Cellar) are on the way, reminder about the benefit at Sanfilipo for the Literary Hall of Fame also coming, as is an update about Casa del Lobos, and more.

It's been a busy week of cleaning, ( Read more... )

"Perhaps there is no other way of reaching some understanding of being than through art? Writers themselves don't analyze what they do; to analyze would be to look down while crossing a canyon on a tightrope. To say this is not to mystify the process of writing but to make an image out of the intense inner concentration the writer must have to ( Read more... )

I heard back today from the hardware store, and my missing notebook has been found ( Read more... )

I'm so behind with posts.
I keep waiting for the ever elusive "more time" to appear.

It hasn't. It's been a good month, however. Full of transitions and reflection and inspiration.

A few months ago, Mark and I made plans to go to Philadelphia for the wedding party of kylecassidy and
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I've been spending much of my "free time" going through Conclave submissions, and it looks like we're finally getting close to the end of the pile. So as I pause to take a break, I'm going to get reflective for a moment.

One of my favorite aspects of starting Conclave: A Journal of Character has been the creative people I've had the good fortune to ( Read more... )

NewPages Blog recently listed an entry about the editorials in Conclave: A Journal of Character and American Short Fiction:

Some Notes on Character

“I ran across a couple of great editorials in the most recent issues of American Short Fiction and Conclave. Both speak the the nature of character in writing as well as, for Conclave, in photography. ( Read more... )