A Christmas Story about Writing (not meant to be nostalgic)*
This story happened when I was in fourth grade, in 1965. My class had just come in from recess, and this was days after the snow had been falling and […]
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The Importance of Story to Anyone in a Place of Brokenness
In the months after we lost our son to suicide, it wasn’t the many kind things people said to us that was of any help. With most of these sayings–“Time […]
A Few Words about Photographs and Memories
Someone said it to me again. “You have your wonderful memories of your son to treasure!” I wish that more people would really think about what they say to the […]
Revision, the Muddle of the Middle, and the Necessity of Learning from Failure
In 1989, a long time ago, as I entered my fourth year as a teacher, I decided to share some of my writing with my first-year composition class. My aim […]
Understanding the Assignment*
“One major difference between the world of ancient rhetoric and the world we now inhabit is that the ancients did not develop a rhetoric that was mechanical and formulaic.” –Sharon […]