by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Feb 1, 2010 | How We Spend Our Days |
Annie Dillard wrote, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” On the first of each month, Catching Days hosts a guest writer in the series, “How We Spend Our Days.” Today, please welcome writer Alexander Chee: 7:00AM I...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jan 29, 2010 | craft of writing, details, journeys, stories, time |
Before I jump into the story, I’d just like to say that what follows are my notes–opinion not fact. And I hope to hear more opinions from you. Also, LONGEST POST EVER ALERT (I suggest a beverage of some sort, maybe a snack) and SPOILER ALERT:...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jan 27, 2010 | craft of writing, stories |
Many of the stories in the new Alice Munro collection, Too Much Happiness, were first published in The New Yorker and are still available online. “Dimensions,” the first story in the collection, will be the story I’ll take apart in the next post....
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jan 25, 2010 | craft of writing, stories |
In an essay entitled “Artful Stealing” by Steven Schwartz in the current issue of “The Writer’s Chronicle,” he writes, “…you break into your own material by finding the key to someone else’s.” Each time I take a...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jan 22, 2010 | craft of writing, mfa, reading, stories |
Like many of you, I feel that for some time now I’ve been reading like a writer. In other words, when I’m reading, I’m also noticing: tense shifts, point of view, use of time, distance between the narrator and the characters, the movement in and out...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jan 19, 2010 | craft of writing, reading, stories |
Here’s another one of those odd coincidences: It was January of last year that I did a post on James Salter who wrote one of my favorite novels, Light Years, and who in July of 2004 at the Tin House Writers Workshop told the audience: “I don’t read for pleasure...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jan 16, 2010 | accumulation, craft of writing, details, journeys, mfa, place, reading, the day |
Thank you to everyone who’s asked what it was like going to my first residency at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. I think it’s taken so long for me to write this post because, in addition to catching up with life and not getting behind on my work, I was...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jan 13, 2010 | Columbus GA, place, the day, time |
At 10:15, this day appears to be another one of those where I feel like my right arm is going in one direction and my left in completely the opposite, the same with my legs, and my head just might explode. I want to do so many things ALL AT ONE TIME. Each thing I do...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jan 11, 2010 | first novels, my writing, reviews |
An Equal Stillness, the debut novel by Francesca Kay, who grew up in South-east Asia and India and now lives in Oxford, was one of the best books I read in 2009. My review of this book is now online in Contrary Magazine’s Winter Issue. An Equal Stillness also...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jan 8, 2010 | accumulation, craft of writing, journeys, mfa, place |
I lie down and get back up only minutes later. I close my eyes and then open them. I’m filled up and emptied out at the same time. Exhausted and yet energized. I’m on my way home from Vermont College of Fine Arts after 8 days of a residency full of...
