“The mountains are calling and I must go.” — John Muir In a recent writing exercise I do with my students, I compiled a list of words or phrases that comprise my identity. We are to strive for nouns, rather than adjectives or adverbs that get to be more subjective…

My most profoundly guilty pleasure is not bad movies, bad books or even a fine chocolate dessert. It is the original chicken sandwich combo at Burger King. Now, Burger King is clearly losing the franchise wars that Demolition Man predicted Taco Bell will win sometime between now and the major…

There may be some fashionista phrase more annoying than “boyfriend jeans,” but I’m hard-pressed to think of one as I attempt to reclaim jeans for grown-assed adults. If you’re unaware or just haven’t been arsed to care — not that I’d blame you — “boyfriend” clothes are all the rage…

One of the requirements for finishing an MFA is to compile a reading list. It’s basically just a list of titles, not a review of each (thank goodness), but it’s intended to show what influences you had and what pieces you studied over the course of your program. …

The first time Neil Gaiman was invited to speak in St. Louis was in 1998. …

The Association of Writers and Writing Programs convention can be a little overwhelming for a newbie just flying out of the MFA nest. Here’s how to find your wings. This past week was my first on-site attendance at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs annual conference, which took place…

It was my wedding day, and we were gathered in the church for pre-wedding photographs. My bridesmaids seemed a bit a-flutter, so I asked them what they were talking about. “Who is that guy who looks like Walt Disney?” …

Holy tax returns, Batman! The Joker has taken over Warner Bros.! Like most of the geekverse, I was surprised to hear that the upcoming Batgirl movie won’t be released — not in theaters, not on streaming — despite being pretty well finished. From Variety to Forbes (not exactly the standard…

Who would you be, if you could be anyone? Recently, I attended a convention that took place entirely in the virtual reality world of Second Life due to the pandemic. …