I was sent a link to an article on the Washington Post website about a group of teenaged kids who broke into Robert Frost's old home, and had themselves a party which caused over $10,000 worth of damage. The twist in the story? Local poet Jay Parini was contacted by the prosecutor in the case: …
Things you learn from CSI
Watching an old episode of CSI NY (now known in our house as "CSI Implausible") I came across an interesting titbit of information. Apparently there are three different sorts of tears: Basal tears: In healthy mammalian eyes, the cornea is continually kept wet and nourished by basal tears. They lubricate the eye and help to keep it clear of dust. Tear …
CV for a good First Reader?
I was talking to someone about writing the other day, and mentioned how vital a good First Reader was. He had no idea what I was talking about, so I explained – the first person I show a new piece of writing to, for honest (often "brutal") feedback and comment. I'd always assumed the term …
Five Gifts for my Grandmother – poem in progress
Once again I find myself indebted to the Guardian Unlimited Poetry Workshops. This time, to Matthew Francis's Sensual Imagery exercise. Like all good exercises, it starts with a bit of stretching, a bit of limbering up, then sets you to the task at a nicely measured pace. We begin by writing: When I think of summer, …
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micro-review: The Nudist on the Late Shift
The Nudist on the Late Shift, Po Bronson (Secker & Warburg, 1999) ISBN: 0436204770 First, the confession: I didn't finish the book. It sounds interesting, and the introduction is well written, witty and intriguing. But the book itself quickly turns into a series of self-congratulatory soundbites, that read half way between a screenplay for a …
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A Dark Feathered Art 