Writing As Therapy

Today my students started reading Charlotte Perkins Gilman‘s The Yellow Wallpaper, an early feminist story about a woman who is not allowed to write because it might upset her “delicate condition”.  This started me thinking about what writing means to me beyond the overall joy of seeing my ideas and crazy plot lines taking on a

Being Xenophanes: How to Write Satire

Today a former student of mine wandered into my room with paper in hand ready for me to churn out writing tips.  This student will graduate in a few weeks, and he has been assigned to write a satirical piece of his choosing about a social issue.  Like Xenophanes of the 6th century who traveled

10 Science Fiction Novels Every Writer Should Read

My writer’s heart beats to the drum of a hyperdrive engine.  I absolutely love science fiction.  I have been heavily influenced by the great science fiction novelists whose worlds I have traveled while lying on the couch, riding on a bus or sitting in the back of the family car on vacation road trips. Great