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Writing and the Arts

A collection of 28 issues

In Remembrance: Molly Ivins

(If you do not subscribe to the Writer's Almanac [http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/], you should. It comes each day and includes a poem for the day and various biographical tidbits about writers. Today's Writer's Almanac brings this entry for August 30:)

The Daily Grind

(or, Writing Ain't Beanbag) I've been trying to get back into the blogging mode, doing something every day, for about a month. And it ain't easy. The job seems to take more and more time; I'm often in the office by 6:

My Dad versus Liz Trotta

My dad was a journalist. He was a number of other things as well: son of a preacher, high-school boxer, WWII volunteer, medic during the war, concentration camp liberator. Journalism student at U of Missouri. Reporter, columnist, editor. But above all, he was a journalist -- a "newspaperman," as he

Two Sunday Morning Blessings

Some of my friends and readers know that one of my lives is that of a musician. It's interesting how compartmentalized our lives are; many of my co-workers have no idea of this part of me, or of my long history in making and directing music. (And

My Tribute to Molly Ivins

(Posted at the Texas Observer, her "home" paper) I envy all you people in Texas. No, really, I do. You got to know Molly for many years, while I only discovered her when I read "Shrub" for the first time in 2000. It's funny

Journalism 101

I am the son of a journalist, and have always had a strong interest in both the product and the process. Both are becoming more and more suspect. Time after time, I read stories where it is obvious that the reporter did not ask any follow-ups. There has been

Neuromancer Redux?

Just finished the latest novel by William Gibson (whom I didn't know was even still alive, much less writing). I have long thought his Neuromancer was one of the most amazing novels I've ever read, especially when you compare his insights into the digital future (which

Courage to Write, Courage to Speak

I've been re-reading an important book in my life, The Courage to Write by Ralph Keyes. The basic premise, of course, is that fear in all its infinite variety is part and parcel of writing, and that the act of writing is itself an act of courage.