“Write something beautiful” — Dessa
I probably am the only remaining Minnesotan unfamiliar with Dessa’s music. I know who she is — how could I …
Tag Archives: essays
Read essays to write essays
“Read five poems for every one you write.” I read this piece of advice in the Jan/Feb 2020 issue of …
Some short, wonderful definitions of “essay”
Rebecca Solnit, in her introduction to this year’s edition of Best American Essays, offers some wonderful, succinct definitions of essay. …
On being a turtle writer
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 …
My favorite things, Aug. 4: True Story, women’s body image, and an essay a day
“Stumbling Into Joy,” by Kate Hopper, True Story Issue #29. Kate is a Minnesota treasure, author of Use Your Words: A …
My favorite things: July 21 edition
I’m resurrecting my “favorite things” series that I had started a couple of years ago. There’s just too much great …
Writing, reading, and Marla Gibbs
I’ve returned to my Camilla Hall manuscript now that the academic year is over. I don’t have anything profound to …
Essay collection review: All the Wild Hungers by Karen Babine
What do you do when life ceases to make sense? When your 65-year-old mom is diagnosed with a childhood cancer, …
Ek….what? Writing about art in nonfiction
In my MASS436 Specialized Writing class at MSU-Mankato on Monday, I introduced students to ekphrasis — writing about art. We …
3-Act structure for nonfiction (Part I)
How the 3-act structure looks for fiction (taken from https://www.nownovel.com/blog/three-act-formula-novels/). The 3-act structure is a common form for storytelling. Movies and …
