As a native-Houstonian of Argentine descent, who loves languages and married a Romanian, who writes multilingual novels and has pulled a chair to many a table for myself and for others, I know firsthand the importance of DEI and belonging, especially in my chosen field. In 2017, for example, I […]
Beth Kephart: It’s one thing to take a measuring tape to a set of architectural blueprints and announce a series of dimensions. It’s quite another to think and write of a house proportionately. What was small and what was large, and in relationship to what, precisely? Think of the work […]
“Installed in the moment. Awash with history.” That’s what writer Beth Kephart says about our childhood homes. And it is the line pushing me to post about this topic. A quick authorial note, I did not just happen on the article. But our instructor, and fellow doctoral student at […]
Dear faithful reader, I am happy to announce that systematizing my submission process back in February has just bared its first fruit. Below is a now published story I wrote, about a lawyer husband angry at his lawyer wife, and their impending blow-up fight soon to occur as soon […]
All around me: the crisp cool morning air, permeating the two exterior walls of my childhood bedroom; my wife in the room with me, tapping out the voice-over to her newest YT video; my sister downstairs singing to the dogs; the periwinkle blue carpet holding me up; a warm mate, […]
Take 2 minutes to describe your “daily ideal” for writing. Relevant to your life, particular to you. Manias: quiet or music, closed space, uninterrupted. Long stretch of time or at least two hours (minimum 1 hr). Completely for myself first drafts, with reading option. Email sharing not until full […]
How are you supposed to write with real life blaring in your ear? You try. Already, today’s exercise seems random. In the chapter about complexity we are tasked with listening to a piece of lyric-free music, relaxing, and recording the images that pass through our mind. The only […]
This exercise comes from the James Scott Bell’s plot book, but it hit me so hard I decided to treat it as something separate. Basically, Mr Bell takes the old adage, “Write what you know,” and makes it, “Write who you are.” It sounds almost Julia Camerom-esque. When you invest […]
My favorite thing to do is think. I know a lot of people don’t like to. But I was the kind of kid who would quickly put together his Lego set, just so he could lie on his tummy and stare at the pieces. I learned late in life that […]
In a few words: wtf. Let’s just start by saying Instagram misses me and I miss Instagram. I can’t even bring myself to reply to my meme groups, because I don’t have the energy to sift through related pages these days and report. Plus it was so fun to […]
“Make mistakes.” This was my boss’s first piece of advice to me. It felt strangely familiar, knowing we must lose a few tokens to win the big chips. When I told him I appreciate his wisdom, he shook his head. “It’s not my idea. I just follow the principle.” Now […]
Roberto Benigni does a fantastic job in his film about the years before and during WWII, La Vita E Bella, showing that humor can save a child’s life, or at least get you through tough times. Now, I won’t spoil it, if you haven’t seen it, because you must. But […]
Some months ago, my graduate department asked me a similar question in an interview. Now I’m thinking why not expand a little, let my hands hopscotch over the keyboard a little, improve a little. I think my answer remains the same: Vronsky and Levin. But, adding some meat to the […]
Let’s assume I’m this world-renowned author, with aspiring writers from around the world flocking to me for advice. I have this wild, white beard from years of paying attention to other people, a colorful yet tasteful garb over my head to prevent ideas from spilling out, and a voice as […]
The next book is called They Lived They Were at Brighton Beach. And this post is a respite from feeling like I have to work at it. Thank you post! What else compares to the chasm between inching forward in life and looking back to see how far one has […]
Alright, yall. This post has to happen. It has to. The feels need lines. My life, over a lined loose leaf, hole-punched, types. Prompted? A little. Go. I’m writing on the Uber to JFK. Lots of items got lost, left, in the last minute packing. Blankeys gone, knicknacks patty wacks […]
What if I told you a story? Breakfast with mamá, galleria area Houston, 2014 — the year I came back home to live with my parents. She hints at my finding a job as casually as she stirs the sugar in her coffee. I ruffle my nose. It […]
Be water, my friend. Bruce Lee Praise to the blocks, the stumbles and locks! They keep villains away, keep terror ad hoc. The purpose of a block is to channel, you know, a flow the consciousness doesn’t know; while laziness allows us to rock peace or pajamas. And what’s […]
A poignant question, and I seem to have but an hour to ponder the thought. Thus I invite you to take your index finger and run it along the cracks of your vanity mirror, get it out of your matrix. This one’s on the penny side to-day. Ride. Is […]
(Athena disguised as Mentor, helping the prince.) “Telemachus, no more shyness, this is not the time! We sailed the seas for this, for news of your father — where does he lie buried? what fate did he meet? So go right up to Nestor, breaker of horses. We’ll make him […]