Elie Wiesel: Blessed Be His Memory
One of the things I miss about working at the newspaper is covering major figures who rolled through Mankato. I …
Category Archives: Books
Mad Men Writing Prompt: Season 1, Episode 11
“Indian Summer” Summary: The thing I like most about this episode is the emphasis on women’s pleasure. Women are taking …
Writing workshop: Grand Marais, Minnesota
If you’ve never been to Grand Marais, it’s the perfect place to bask in creativity. The town, in the very …
Facing rejection: Tips for writers
Photo Credit: Simpel1 via Compfight cc My philosophy regarding rejection is pretty simple: submit widely, and you’ll probably get a …
Thoughts on the negative book review
What do you think of a “bad” book review? I’m not talking about a reviewer who brings up a couple of …
The 1 thing the literary sex world needs — not
This headline and subsequent article annoyed me. I wasn’t the only one. This article. Straight men's desire for very young …
Take my memoir class at The Loft, April 12-May 17
I’m teaching a six-week “Memoir of Discovery” class at The Loft in Minneapolis from 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays, April 12-May 17. …
Review of Chris Offutt’s “My Father the Pornographer”
I reviewed My Father the Pornographer by Chris Offutt for the Feb. 21 Minneapolis StarTribune. Even though the discovery of his …
5 Memoirs for the Valentine’s Day cynic
If you’re like me, Valentine’s Day becomes been there, done that. I see it as a day for young love, …
Will I always write about the Manson family?
If you’re a writer, try this exercise: Sit down with a group of people who’ve read your book and have …
If You Have Five Seconds to Spare 