Someone asked on Quora: When was the first time you got paid for your writing? How much did you make? Here’s my story: When I was in graduate school I was also working at a coffee shop, because I was broke (never go to graduate school unless they want you enough to pay you, by …
Lisa Brackmann’s Go-Between comes out July 5 and I am so excited. It’s the sequel to Getaway, which I totally loved, and I’ll wait here while you go pre-order it. When I read Lisa Brackmann’s books I always think of this thing Frances McDormand reportedly said to some director or other: “You have to light me like …
Just had to link to this starred Kirkus Review for Bryn Greenwood’s All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, which comes out August 9. Bryn is an amazing writer who has been a super supportive friend to me throughout my own writing journey (she seriously found about ten typos in my synopsis just this past Monday). Her …
Check out this review of writer – friend Lisa Brackmann’s latest, Go-Between, on the International Noir blog. I read an early draft of this book and was riveted. Riveted, I tell you! A worthy sequel to her drug-cartel thriller Getaway (if you haven’t, do).
Scene: Thursday morning, 5am. Fixing lunch, grabbing supplies, finding presentable clothes because I’m going along on the 4th grade field trip to Philly. At the last minute I remember I need something to read on the bus. I grab the slimmest book I see: The Bridge of San Luis Rey. Mind summarily blown. What even …
That dream I had last night reminded me of something and this morning I remembered what. It was like a Jen Ray painting! I met Jen Ray when she was working at the Fulton County Arts Council, I believe, and I was coordinating the 20th Century Arts Society at the High Museum. That was a …
Just woke up from a dream in which it was the fashion for women in my town to wear light, indestructible body armor. The armor concealed you completely: face and head, arms and legs, hands, feet. Mine was very pretty; it had a pattern of images from vintage maps: blue water, green or straw-colored land, …
Here’s an answer I wrote on Quora that has gotten a lot of views, and even got featured on Buzzfeed: How do you know when you’ve found your true love? I’ve heard two good answers to this over the years. One was from a friend who had met the woman he would later marry. He …
The lovely editors at O, the Oprah Magazine, have included my essay, “Personal Growth,” in the adorable little volume that is O’s Little Book of Happiness. You know who else has essays in this book? Brené Brown. Jane Smiley. Elizabeth Gilbert. Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Roxane Gay. No big deal!! Also, in the correspondence surrounding this …