Monthly Archives: May 2017

Creative Nonfiction and Literature Further Defined

I’ve wrestled with the definition of literature in previous posts. As well as trying to define creative nonfiction. 1966: A Journal of Creative Nonfiction, gives us this definition which, when broadened, could include literature as well: The best definition we’ve … Continue reading

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My YouTube Video on Dividing Agapanthus Has Hit 65,000 Views

In April 2014 I posted my first and only fully realized YouTube video. It was on dividing agapanthus, a popular ornamental of temperate climes. It took quite a bit of work to produce it, and its not especially meritorious, production … Continue reading

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Taking an Online Course in Writing Poetry and Fiction Through the Writers Studio

For ten weeks I am going to try to learn basic steps in writing poetry and fiction. This is new to me. The online course I have signed up for is offered through the Writers Studio, which is based in Greenwich Village. … Continue reading

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Open Yale Courses: The World Awaits

Do you know about Open Yale Courses? I’m just finding out. They present a variety of subjects for anyone to view without fees or registration. It’s a marvelous resource. Consider the lectures on English modern poetry. Not only do you … Continue reading

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Persistence

There’s an interesting and illuminating article in today’s New York Times about one writer’s successful struggle to land a variety of high profile gigs. Key to his story is how many writing assignments he did not get. In this blog, … Continue reading

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I’m Going On A BioBlitz

This summer the U.S. National Park Service is holding a BioBlitz at Great Basin National Park in northeastern Nevada. This three day event this year will focus on lichens. What is a BioBlitz? As they put it, A Bioblitz is … Continue reading

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What If Civil War Monuments Were Books?

There’s a deeply disturbing trend to remove Civil War monuments and to rename parks, schools, and streets whose subjects are no longer in favor. Librarians and scholars, on the other hand, celebrate banned books, publications so controversial in their time that … Continue reading

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What Is Literature? — Continued

<— Previous post on literature It might be said that literature aspires to something higher, art perhaps. Artistic merit. Perhaps. None of the reporting I’ve done, the blogs for trial lawyers that I write, none of the magazine articles I’ve ever … Continue reading

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What is Literature?

Literature, at first thought, explores the meaning beyond basic facts required by a story. Reportage demands the who, what, when, where, how, and why; literature demands the meaning behind them. Why, then, isn’t news analysis literature? Is Time magazine literature? Supreme Court Justice Potter … Continue reading

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Approving Edits

My creative nonfiction essay entitled “Describing The Elephant” is moving toward publication. Temenos (internal link) will carry it in their Spring 2017 edition. I received a manuscript with suggested corrections and I approved all of them. This is no time … Continue reading

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