by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Sep 1, 2009 | Dani Shapiro, 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 DANI SHAPIRO: A I awake as I...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Aug 29, 2009 | shapes, stories |
In Mary Gaitskill’s story collection, Don’t Cry, is a story entitled, “Mirror Ball.” It’s one of my four favorites in the collection and is described on the book jacket as an “urban fairy tale” in which “a young man...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Aug 25, 2009 | details, memory, reading |
The Music Room by Dennis McFarland was published in 1990. I read it the first time in 1991, and then again at the beginning of August–eighteen years later. I enjoyed it just as much. Here, McFarland could be describing his own writing, instead of a feeling:...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Aug 21, 2009 | details |
Okay, here’s the thing. I got carried away in my post about the detail hunt. When I started writing it, I just wanted to write about how hard it was to catch details and maybe generate a discussion about where all the good ones were hiding and how other people...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Aug 17, 2009 | craft of writing, details, Pam Houston |
The more I think about Pam Houston’s writing advice (via Henry James), that a writer ought to strive to be “someone on whom nothing is lost,” the more I want to be aware of what is going on around me. A couple of weeks ago, in the interest of...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Aug 11, 2009 | accumulation, life |
If your life includes reading, writing, and books, then it’s likely filled with piles of books and papers and other things you’ve cut out or printed for ideas and then there are all the little notes for inspiration and the notes of daily reminders and the...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Aug 8, 2009 | life, shapes, the day, time |
“There is nothing to be done but go ahead with life moment by moment and hour by hour–put out birdseed, tidy the rooms, try to create order and peace around me even if I cannot achieve it inside me.” May Sarton. As the last days of summer float by,...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Aug 1, 2009 | How We Spend Our Days, Pam Houston |
Annie Dillard wrote, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” On the first of each month, beginning today, Catching Days will host a guest writer. To inaugurate this monthly series, “How We Spend Our Days,” please welcome...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jul 29, 2009 | Dani Shapiro |
I’ve been trying to keep my computer issues out of my blog posts; but anyway, yesterday after I got my computer back, I went to Barnes and Noble, ordered a latte, and sat down to write a post. It had been a while (because of the computer issues). I wanted to...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jul 28, 2009 | craft of writing, Dani Shapiro |
Anne Enright, the author of The Gathering, winner of the 2007 Man Booker Prize, just wants to write, but as Dani Shapiro recently pointed out, some days it’s easier than others. “I need to write,” Enright said. “I go bonkers a bit if I...
