An important question, for a column devoted to the essay. Also, it seems, a rhetorical question, as easily answered as what makes tea, tea. I love both tea and essays. One nourishes my body, the other my soul. I consume both, savoring flavors and words without much thought. Tea was the robust, brown liquid I… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Charlie Jane Anders. Charlie Jane is the author of the essay collection Never Say You Can’t Survive along with the short story collection Even Greater Mistakes. Her other books include The City in the Middle of the Night and All the Birds in the Sky. Her fiction and… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure and honor of interviewing Marcus Harrison Green. Marcus is the publisher of the South Seattle Emerald, and a columnist with the Seattle Times. Growing up in South Seattle, he experienced first-hand the impact of one-dimensional stories on marginalized communities, which taught him the value of authentic narratives. After an unfulfilling… Read more »
Agonizing dread arrests most writers at the prospect of revisiting their old work – especially an essay collection. Our revision reflex activities and work that was due but (at least in your mind) not necessarily done is suddenly in need of a fresh coat of paint. We obsess over what we could have said, done,… Read more »
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Philip Lopate. Phillip is the author of over a dozen books: 4 personal essay collections (Bachelorhood, Against Joie de Vivre, Portrait of My Body, and Portrait Inside my Head), as well as Being with Children, Waterfront, and Notes on Sontag 3 works of fiction (Confessions of Summer, The… Read more »
Essays are having a hot moment right now, but they’ve been around for a long time. The word “essay” originates from the French word “essayer,” meaning “to try.” The form has certainly morphed with time, but in a sense boils down to the writer figuring out what they think and feel by writing about it…. Read more »
I’m a word nerd. Of course, that’s no surprise considering I’m writing this column at DIY MFA, the home of word nerdom. I started early, like most word nerds, collecting big words, unusual words. Words such as antidisestablishmentarianism, serendipity, and logophile. I love knowing the right and precise word for a specific thing. Like knowing… Read more »
Last year, I successfully pitched and submitted an essay to a well-known creative nonfiction magazine. It was an essay I’m proud of, one that was inspired by a Twitter thread originally posted by the editor I wrote for. But unfortunately the editor turned down my piece, because the ending didn’t have that unexpected element she… Read more »
I love to read essays. In my job as reference librarian, I sneak titles of single author essay collections or essay anthologies into as many reader’s advisory (RA) recommendations as I can. However, most readers choose the fiction I offer over the essays. Nobody ever seems to willingly admit they read essays. Doesn’t inspire us… Read more »
Hey there Word Nerds! So glad you could be here with me for this awesome episode of DIY MFA Radio. Today, I’m talking to pop culture and sci-fi guru, Ryan Britt, talking about his new book Luke Skywalker Can’t Read, And Other Geeky Truths. Listen in to hear us geek out about life, literature, and all things… Read more »
