A Blog About Creativity
Fiction thrives on spectacle and deceit. We're intrigued by a protagonist who lies. The narcissist, whose egotism obscures alternative viewpoints, is greeted enthusiastically in the world of film and literature. We marvel at the sleight of hand, if … [Continue reading]
Here's a frightening piece of history I stumbled upon in the course of researching my second novel. Just one more example of why ignorance matters. In the 1950's, Joseph McCarthy's decade of reckless red-baiting led to a purging in the State … [Continue reading]
Gertrude keeps hounding me to write another blog post. "I'm busy," I tell her, obsessed with writing my next novel. It's about the power of charismatic figures to draw us in—and then poison our environs with rancor and distrust. It's … [Continue reading]
Elie Axelroth sat down with SLO New Times Arts Editor Ryah Cooley to talk about her novel, Thin Places, her recent National Indie Excellence Award, her writing process, and what she's working on now. … [Continue reading]
It's Sunday night and Gertrude is glued to the presidential debates. She refuses to cede control of the remote, captivated by all that mean-spirited, third grade bathroom talk and name calling. "It's turning your mind into a cesspool," I tell her. … [Continue reading]
Please join me at the Shell Beach Friends of the Library Open House Saturday, April 16 at 1:00 PM The day's activities begin at 10:00 AM. There will also be a succulent craft demonstration, a repurposed book crafts display, children’s activity … [Continue reading]
Did you know that only 10% of foster youth go to college? And of that, only 3% graduate? Join us for a lively discussion about the challenges of foster youth in college and what our community can do to support their success. Monday, April 11, … [Continue reading]
It's easy to be taken with Cuba. The vintage American cars. Cuban jazz on every street corner. Art fashioned from repurposed detritus—hubcaps, scrap metal, broken glass. Beautiful colonial, art deco, and baroque architecture graces the cities, along … [Continue reading]
I recently moved from one side of town to the other. The students had invaded with their enthusiasm and red cups. Lounge chairs on the roof. The week before I sold my house, I heard sawing and hammering coming from the other side of the fence. … [Continue reading]
I'm running errands downtown, standing on the corner waiting for the light to change. You know how long it takes for the light to change when you're a pedestrian in a hurry. I'd parked in a thirty-minute meter hoping I wouldn't spend all thirty … [Continue reading]
