From the archives: The ethics of writing about those who have died
NOTE: This was originally published on July 8, 2012. I have no doubt that my dad would approve of my …
Tag Archives: memoir
Book tour, Rochester
I always like the discussions that occur during my book talks. In Rochester, we talked about the elegiac aspect of …
Q: Where in Minnesota can you find relief from mosquitoes?
A: Lanesboro! Legend has it that the fast-moving Root River and lack of places with standing water keep the mosquito …
The Hanel reality tour (props to “Seinfeld”)
On Wednesday, I met with a book club who had taken a field trip to Waseca to visit cemeteries and …
Can I still revise my book?
I’m learning more about my book the more I talk about it. In the past three weeks, I’ve spoken to …
The poetics of Lent
When I think back to my childhood church, it’s the Lenten services that dominate my memories. The Catholic Church places …
Jesmyn Ward’s literary view of grief
I cleared my schedule to make sure I could attend the craft talk and reading by Nikki Finney and Jesmyn …
Minnesota: The best state for book awards
First I need to mention: 960 people at the Minnesota Book Awards! Can your state beat that? I was honored …
Happy 70th birthday to Digger O’Dell! (aka Dad)
Dad would have been 70 years old today. It always seemed appropriate that Dad had an April Fool’s birthday. In …
Blog Tour: #MyWritingProcess
Today is my day on The Blog Tour, where writers and authors answer questions about their writing processes. Last week, …
If You Have Five Seconds to Spare 