Read Your Genre, Read Widely

I am an unapologetically voracious reader, but that wasn’t always the case. When I first started writing seriously I eschewed all forms of creativity other than my own. Nuts to all that read your genre, read widely nonsense. Why? Something about not wanting to be influenced by other people’s work, or some such malarkey. And… Read more »

July 2023 Leisure Learning: Word Nerd Tourism!

July 2023 Leisure Learning: Word Nerd Tourism!

Hello and happy almost-August! The July 2023 Leisure Learning column is all about the literal places that literature can transport one’s self to. Get in touch with your inner Transcendentalist, talk with the kids about their summer reading, go on a few virtual tours that bring epic word nerd sites to you, and have a… Read more »

Consent and Condoms: Ice Planet Barbarians

Consent and Condoms: Ice Planet Barbarians

Though it may come as a surprise to some, I’ve only been reading romance novels for a few years now. I’ve always secretly enjoyed romance plots when they come up in other books I’ve read or movies I watched, and I’m the first to worship two characters at the barest hint of chemistry, but it… Read more »

June 2023 Leisure Learning: Summer Reading, All Grown Up

June 2023 Leisure Learning: Summer Reading, All Grown Up

Word nerds, please grab a mimosa and join me as I raise a glass to that super special time of year: (to be read with your best Oprah impression)***SUMMER READING SEASON!!***  Like ghost stories in October, summer reading carries with it the indulgence of being simply delightful. It’s a time to break free of books related only… Read more »

May 2023 Leisure Learning: Way, Way Back in the Day

May 2023 Leisure Learning: Way, Way Back in the Day

Greetings and felicitations, fellow nerds of the word! The May 2023 Leisure Learning column focuses on literary contributions somehow related to the past. Gain insight into William Blake’s process for resurrecting the illuminated manuscript, meet some lesser-known family members chronically overshadowed by their famous relations, and see how Walt Disney’s soldiering days influenced early Disney… Read more »

Cozy to Cold-Blooded: The Poirot Awards

Cozy to Cold-Blooded: The Poirot Awards

I spent the first months of 2023 reading Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot novels, most for the first time. It all started when I read The ABC Murders. I received a Nintendo Switch Lite and the video game The ABC Murders for Christmas and I didn’t want the game to spoil the book.  I enjoyed The… Read more »

Reading as a Creative Act

Reading as a Creative Act

Writers, I’d like to talk about reading. Growing up, it was the form of entertainment universally endorsed by adults. Kids could watch too much TV or spend too many hours playing video games, but rarely did one get in trouble for reading too many books. (Although I’m sure some of you reading this have some… Read more »

Transgender Literature: A Rich History and a Contemporary Renaissance

Transgender Literature: A Rich History and a Contemporary Renaissance

Transgender literature, which deals with the experiences and struggles of people whose gender identity differs from their assigned sex at birth, has a long and rich history. From ancient myths and legends to contemporary novels and memoirs, transgender literature has played a significant role in shaping our understanding of gender, sexuality, and identity. History of… Read more »

April 2023 Leisure Learning: Friends, Foes, & Infamy

April 2023 Leisure Learning: Friends, Foes, & Infamy

Merry April, all! I hope that by the time you read this, you have gotten a chance to experience the luxury of reading outside. (Made even more luxurious, at times, through the magic of antihistamines.) This month’s column explores the spectrum of friends, enemies, frenemies, and simply odd relationships found within literature, both on and… Read more »