Rereading Chuck Palahniuk’s Stranger Than Fiction True Stories for my Lit 150 class. My favorite fiction writers are my favorite creative non-fiction writers. I’m enjoying his essay “Brinksmanship”: The waitress used to say, “What will you be doing when you’re old men?” I used to tell her, “I’ll worry about that when I get there.” IfContinue reading “chuck palahniuk’s stranger than fiction”
Tag Archives: writing
influence of v for vendetta
Had a great talk today with a student about writing that serves truth instead of ego. Also about writing and politics. We both admitted Alan Moore and V For Vendetta were so influential to our thought process–political and social awareness. I keep repeating to my students I wouldn’t be a teacher or writer without graphic novels andContinue reading “influence of v for vendetta”
chablis and the baby
Watching Donald Barthelme clip from classic MTV today in Lit 150 class:
“so it goes”–staying up late with kurt vonnegut
Some nights when I’m supposed to be working on my big fat failed novel. When I am supposed to be sleeping. Or grading. I can’t and so I sit and listen to books on tape. A few months back it was Jesus’ Son. Something about Will Patton’s voice that grabbed me. This time out I have beenContinue reading ““so it goes”–staying up late with kurt vonnegut”
the influence of los lobos–the town and the city
What can I write about the influence of The Town and the City on my writing projects. This band and album I have so much affection for. I can play the cd and the music allows me to get into those Southern Colorado neighborhoods of my youth and helps me to find the characters and situations. The flavor ofContinue reading “the influence of los lobos–the town and the city”
ernesto galarza’s barrio boy
Reading Galarza’s book Barrio Boy I was amazed at the brilliant memoir of Galarza’s boyhood experience of the Mexican Revolution and segregation in American neighborhoods. I was interested to find a different definition of the term chicano and also I was interested to read about the struggle for work and how that struggle for workContinue reading “ernesto galarza’s barrio boy”
quick note on troncoso’s from this wicked patch of dust
Last week–despite mountains of grading and student conferences–I spent time with Troncoso’s sweeping novel From This Wicked Patch of Dust and found so much to admire. I admired the form as well as the content. Told in a third person limited omniscient narration the story drops into the thoughts, feelings and questions of each member of a MexicanContinue reading “quick note on troncoso’s from this wicked patch of dust”