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If You Have Five Seconds to Spare

~ Then I'll Tell You the Story of My Life

If You Have Five Seconds to Spare

Tag Archives: essays

Review of Melissa Faliveno’s debut essay collection, “Tomboyland”

July 30, 2020

I’m often mistaken for a vegetarian.  I don’t know why. Perhaps it’s my tattoos. Or my hair color—a shock of …

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“Write something beautiful” — Dessa

March 3, 2020

I probably am the only remaining Minnesotan unfamiliar with Dessa’s music. I know who she is — how could I …

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Read essays to write essays

January 26, 2020

“Read five poems for every one you write.” I read this piece of advice in the Jan/Feb 2020 issue of …

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Some short, wonderful definitions of “essay”

October 10, 2019

Rebecca Solnit, in her introduction to this year’s edition of Best American Essays, offers some wonderful, succinct definitions of essay. …

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On being a turtle writer

August 31, 2019

In terms of writing, I’m definitely a turtle, not a hare. Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Midland_painted_turtle.jpg   Some days the writing just …

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My favorite things, Aug. 4: True Story, women’s body image, and an essay a day

August 4, 2019

“Stumbling Into Joy,” by Kate Hopper, True Story Issue #29. Kate is a Minnesota treasure, author of Use Your Words: A …

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My favorite things: July 21 edition

July 21, 2019

I’m resurrecting my “favorite things” series that I had started a couple of years ago. There’s just too much great …

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Writing, reading, and Marla Gibbs

May 28, 2019

I’ve returned to my Camilla Hall manuscript now that the academic year is over. I don’t have anything profound to …

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Essay collection review: All the Wild Hungers by Karen Babine

April 13, 2019

What do you do when life ceases to make sense? When your 65-year-old mom is diagnosed with a childhood cancer, …

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Ek….what? Writing about art in nonfiction

March 20, 2018

In my MASS436 Specialized Writing class at MSU-Mankato on Monday, I introduced students to ekphrasis — writing about art. We …

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