Book Talk

The Big Idea

Writing Process

On Point of View

Practically the first thing you need to decide when writing fiction is “who is telling this story?” Historically, we novelists have had many options. When novel-writing in English began in…

Nields

The Barn Project

The Big Idea

Writing Process

Day 19: Why Write Songs in the Age of Free Downloads?

My house is full of writers. I am sitting in Couchland North; two others are in Couchland South. Writers are at my dining room table, in my music parlor and…

Parenting/The Full Catastrophe

The Big Idea

Writing Process

Summer and the Swing

…Death kept following, tracking us down At least I heard your bluebird sing Now somebody’s got to show their hand Time is an enemy I know you’re long gone; I…

Parenting/The Full Catastrophe

The Big Idea

Writing Process

Hamilton, Ambition, Perfection

“What is to give light must endure burning.” -Viktor Frankl If, on the night of June 2nd, you heard a bloodcurdling scream coming from a neighborhood in Northampton, that would…

Journal

The Big Idea

What’s The Big Idea?

What’s the Big Idea? What happens when your family of origin is too happy? How does one leave one’s family if there is no good reason to? What if there…

The Big Idea

Short excerpt from The Big Idea

 (from the work-in-progress The Big Idea. The book is told from multiple points of view. Here is a piece from Peter Becket, oldest brother, guitarist, songwriter, visionary, pain in the…