We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.—Albus Dumbledore She is ugly, irksome, annoying, galling, reprehensible...I could go on. She is instantly recognizable even from a distance, satisfying to mock, deride, and pelt with stones. She is worse still when she stands before you. And on that day … Continue reading Tower of Babel: A Lyrical Reflection
Writing
Writing with Precise Language: Why it Matters
In my professional life writing and editing copy for a digital marketing agency I read a lot of other copy floating around the ‘net. And while the volume of trendy, quippy, or just plain prosaic writing in the cyber sphere may come as no surprise to many, what surprises and disappoints me is how much … Continue reading Writing with Precise Language: Why it Matters
On Writing Well: Don’t *Be* a Writer
In grad school I knew a young ninny who believed taking courses in technical writing would plug the gaping holes in his undergraduate academic experience and give him all the tools he needed to enjoy success in his anticipated professional life. I don’t know where he is now and I can’t say for sure whether … Continue reading On Writing Well: Don’t *Be* a Writer
My Journey to the Corporate World: Don’t Hate
A ballet friend and colleague recently asked whether I’ve been “itching” to teach again. I had to think about that. These days I’m not sure I would describe my desire to teach as an itch, but maybe—it felt like something more profound when I took the colossal and risky leap of faith to open a … Continue reading My Journey to the Corporate World: Don’t Hate
Learning to Write in Bits and Bytes
How many of your speech and language neurons are you willing to prune away? I write and edit wide-ranging content for a successful digital marketing content company, where we keep abreast of the latest in best practices. Maintaining high standards is important because we hand our clientele deliverables that ultimately affect their bottom lines, and … Continue reading Learning to Write in Bits and Bytes
Pruning Away Neurons (And Re-Growing Them)
Of his own writing Evelyn Waugh famously quipped, "I put the words down and push them around a bit." In Freshman Comp 101 you'd identify that literary device as understatement, of course. Sometimes I worry an entire generation of writers may be losing the penchant for pushing words around a bit. If I could distill writer … Continue reading Pruning Away Neurons (And Re-Growing Them)
Creative Workshop Takeaways: Publish or Perish
Today I attended a creative workshop led by New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz at this really groovy yurt in Cambridge, NY. (By the way, yurt is the word of the day.) I attended sessions on writing, photography, and blogging. One thing Jon underscored in his writing and blogging sessions was the importance of producing … Continue reading Creative Workshop Takeaways: Publish or Perish
What does THIS button do?
I lived in Denver for a few years in my twenties, mostly piddling around, as my mama would say. I took a brief break from academia (where I should have been hard at work), to dance a little, but mostly to explore. The last year I lived there I worked in a frame shop with … Continue reading What does THIS button do?
Bedlam Farm Takeaways: The Katz Effect
The spring open house at Bedlam Farm was a couple of weeks ago, Jon Katz and Maria Wulf’s generous semi-annual sharing of their farm and lifestyle with fans, animal lovers, other artisans, and curiosity seekers. I’ve been to three of these now, with gathering interest and meaning, and what I think you could fairly call … Continue reading Bedlam Farm Takeaways: The Katz Effect
Promise, Renewal
Friday was stunning, Saturday overcast, and today cold, rainy, and windy as hell. So windy in fact that a big whoosh felled a tree near the house (good-sized maple), bouncing off Handsome Chef Boyfriend's new car—big damage—and hitting the ground next to mine, but not before completely taking out a tail light on my Subi … Continue reading Promise, Renewal
Sycamore Stories 