I've experienced a series of losses this year, which have me thinking about what happens to our loved ones when they die and will I ever see them again? Greg Taylor's "Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife" is an attempt to examine the scientific evidence that consciousness survives death, and it's a refreshing approach… Continue reading Science and the Afterlife
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Abe Lincoln Dead — Film at 11
President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated 150 years ago today, and nearly 60 years ago, the last surviving eyewitness appeared on a TV game show called “I’ve Got a Secret.” Samuel J. Seymour was 96 when the show aired. The Atlantic posted a video clip of his appearance, and Robbie Gonzalez picked it up on the… Continue reading Abe Lincoln Dead — Film at 11
Celebrating the End of the Civil War Today
Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant 150 years ago today, and bells will toll across the country this afternoon to commemorate the occasion. The bells will peal at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park in Virginia at 3:00 p.m. (EDT) to mark the time when Lee and Grant concluded their meeting to negotiate… Continue reading Celebrating the End of the Civil War Today
Harper Lee and Her Editor
Most of the hullabaloo over the announcement that Harper Lee would finally be publishing a sequel to her much-loved classic “To Kill a Mockingbird” focused on whether the 88-year-old author had willingly surrendered the manuscript or whether she was being taken advantage of after the death of her very protective sister Alice. Readers have been… Continue reading Harper Lee and Her Editor
What We Talk About When We Talk About Plot
E.M. Forster defined the difference between story and plot this way: “The king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died and then the queen died of grief is a plot.” Some writers visualize their plots as suspension bridges, with the towers representing key turning points. Photo by abarndweller. Plot is… Continue reading What We Talk About When We Talk About Plot
Blizzards in the Old West
My driveway in the early stages of clearing after a winter storm. We've been using a combination of snow blowing, shoveling and salting. It has been a battle keeping our long, curving, sloping driveway free of snow and ice this winter, and the experience made me wonder how people used to clear snow. After doing… Continue reading Blizzards in the Old West
Prize-Winning Dandelions and the Best Time to Write: What I Learned in 2014
Last year was one of the busiest I’ve had in a long time. Here is some of what I learned: 1. Teaching is much harder than it looks. After teaching intro composition at a college last year, I have a profound appreciation and admiration for teachers. The work is hard, it is intense, it is… Continue reading Prize-Winning Dandelions and the Best Time to Write: What I Learned in 2014
Rewriting: How to Begin
Once you've written a complete draft of your story or book, you're ready for the next stage of the process: rewriting. The complexity of the revision process mainly hinges on whether you're the sort of writer who creates a detailed outline before you begin or someone who makes it up as you go along, by… Continue reading Rewriting: How to Begin
Minnie the Moocher and Opium Use in the Old West
It’s tough to research people and life in the Old West without stumbling over references to opium use. Opiates in various forms were widely prescribed and used, and legal at the time. I’ve read numerous books and articles on the topic of opium, and one day when I’d been delving deep, I happened to listen… Continue reading Minnie the Moocher and Opium Use in the Old West
Writing When You Only Have Moments to Spare
To follow up on my earlier post about “The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.,” the DVD version features a fascinating conversation among the show’s writers, who came together to talk about the experience of creating 27 episodes in one season. They described a “war-like environment” and some pretty insane deadlines — perhaps best summed up… Continue reading Writing When You Only Have Moments to Spare
Thanksgiving without the Pilgrims
Sarah Josepha Hale. Portrait by James Reid Lambdin. Americans owe the modern-day celebration of Thanksgiving to Abraham Lincoln and Sarah Josepha Hale. However, I fear we owe our warm, fuzzy image of Pilgrims and Indians living in harmony to a lazy attitude toward history. Hale promoted women’s issues through the American Ladies Magazine, which she… Continue reading Thanksgiving without the Pilgrims
The Art of Revision — And Why You Should Love It
Writing, like just about any creative pursuit, is a process. That process begins with exploring ideas, writing a first draft (which is where many people romantically think writing ends) and then revising, revising, revising. Writers who are now in the throes of National Novel Writing Month are in that starry-eyed first-draft stage. That is a… Continue reading The Art of Revision — And Why You Should Love It
Terri J. Huck 