This is what it is like for me on this Thursday morning sitting and waiting around–without coffee–for my 930am class: I have come to the idea that I my process is so completely erratic and unpredictable and I wonder if I can sustain a long narrative without forgetting beginning points and narrative threads. Here IContinue reading “An Idea on Process”
Category Archives: Updates
Richard Yates and Revolutionary Road
I first read Yates’ Revolutionary Road years ago–maybe back at Colorado State. I had been reading as much Richard Ford as I possibly could after reading Rock Springs and Independance Day and in one of those books–in the forward–he lists Yates as the most underappreciated writer in America and I wanted to see if thisContinue reading “Richard Yates and Revolutionary Road”
Hunter S. and Hell’s Angels
In between prep time for school and my own research of Cornbread I’ve been reading Hunter S. Thompson’s Hell’s Angels. I like to read at it slowly before I get to sleep at night–keep it close to the bed. I found the book in Barnes and Nobles, not in non-fiction, but in the special interestContinue reading “Hunter S. and Hell’s Angels”
Jose Antonio Burciaga and the importance of MLK Jr.
The essayist Jose Antonio Burciaga–who I find myself more and more reading and re-reading–explains in his essay called “the Last Supper of Chicano Heroes” not only the importance of studying particular Chicano writers and artists–and finding personal heroes–but also the importance of Dr. Martin Luther King’s inspiration to the American Chicano movement. He writes thatContinue reading “Jose Antonio Burciaga and the importance of MLK Jr.”
"You know I can’t get away…I’m with the brain again…."
The title of this weblog post is from some lines of dialogue from one of my favorite uncollected J.D. Salinger stories–“The Inverted Forest“. (I found it pretty quickly online and I wonder how old J.D. thinks about it.) In this story our main character, Corinne, is left by a childhood love. The childhood love, RaymondContinue reading “"You know I can’t get away…I’m with the brain again…."”
what are you? writer vs teacher
One of my fellow teachers here at the community college asked me a very interesting question a while back. She asked, “What would you rather be doing–reading or writing?” We were waiting for a professional development meeting/seminar to begin and I didn’t have much time to answer but I think I told her I would ratherContinue reading “what are you? writer vs teacher”
Writing Mentors and the Passing Down of Failure
I first heard of failure as it relates to writing from my old writing teacher and mentor Will Hochman . And I don’t mean he failed me or told me I was a failure. No, he was tough on me but kind and nurtured his students from draft to draft. Never had composition with himContinue reading “Writing Mentors and the Passing Down of Failure”
Maxwell’s So Long, See You Tomorrow
Those of us without strong family ties or inspiration look for wisdom or guidance from wherever we can find it. And those who read usually find escape or motivation from texts–and that would be a success. I mean I have been writing about failure on this site quite a bit but finding a text orContinue reading “Maxwell’s So Long, See You Tomorrow”
Why I Like Taco Bell
Every once and a while on cold and lonely midwestern nights like tonight when it is 20 degrees out and dark by 5PM, I will drive out to Taco Bell for frijoles and memories of the Abuelitos and the food they had for me since I was a small moco growing up in Colorado. BackContinue reading “Why I Like Taco Bell”
the Contradiction of Susan-Lori Parks
I have been teaching Susan-Lori Parks’ play Topdog/Underdog for a few years now and I am so inspired and also confused with her work. What inspires me is the brave use of slang and idiomatic expressions; her themes and family/cultural dynamics are so amazing to me and have been since Jenny Cornell at Oregon StateContinue reading “the Contradiction of Susan-Lori Parks”
Sundays and Allan Brothers Coffee
If you know anything about me, you know I love coffee. And I guess it didn’t begin in the Northwest or in Oregon sepcifically. Perhaps all those fishing trips as a young moco and all those thermoses of coffee got me. Or maybe the first expresso drinks I was introduced to at Colorado State andContinue reading “Sundays and Allan Brothers Coffee”
Factotum and Failure:
I am lucky because I am able to teach Factotum by Bukowski this spring–along with On the Road and Oscar Wao. Each one of these books focuses on a writer’s creative literacy and also their individaul failure and successes. And I am always inspired by Bukowski’s words on writing as creation and failure: “If youContinue reading “Factotum and Failure:”
Kerouac and Visions of Cody
It would take all day and night to explain how I feel about Kerouac and his book Visions of Cody. I read this book for the first time during a very dificult time in life–and really the Dharma Bums was the first book of Kerouac I ever experienced even though critics consider it the lesserContinue reading “Kerouac and Visions of Cody”