reading
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My Struggle with Perfectionism
Do you know your biggest obstacle against creativity? As a writer, perfectionism has kept me from making a good deal of progress. Much is said about Writer’s Block or the phobia of cliches being reasons why we don’t make progress. We rarely address a hidden problem. It’s the idea of striving to write a scene…
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On Robert Frost and the Rise of Poetry
We are fortunate to be living in a time when poetry is once again becoming popular. Instagram poetry is on the rise; it’s easy to post our work for thousands to see. If we learn the use of hashtags and posting times, we can build an impressive following. It is a breath of relief, since…
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A Place of Light
This is another excerpt from my journal that I would like to share. It needs editing, but I liked it, and hope you will too! There’s a lot of light in this place. It’s a haven of pure air and high spirits. It makes me feel like there’s no darkness left in my reality; by…
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On Storytelling
What does it mean to be a storyteller? Stories are places of refuge for people frightened by the realities of this world. They provide rest when we are too weak to dwell on reality. Story is salve for the wounds inflicted by life. A well-told story comforts us. We seek depth and meaning. We find…
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The Garden and the Trilogy
Sometimes the cure to Writer’s Block—and to Reader’s Burnout—is to do something else. Some of you might have known that already, but I’ve been stubborn for years, refusing to think myself capable of taking up another hobby with the passion I felt for literature. Then I took up gardening. The dining room window looks like…
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A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
This is my first Hemingway novel. It’s a quick read and struck me for being so detached. The writing style seems indifferent by nature, focusing little on the main character’s emotions and more on dialogue. I don’t know if Hemingway’s writing is like this in other novels. It isn’t bad: the way the main character…
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David Copperfield: The Call to Action
In my final reflection on David Copperfield (for now), I want to muse on a paragraph which appears to me as a living, direct link to the author and what he stood for. It is a reflection on the homeless of his time–and ours. In context: still a child, David Copperfield has escaped horrific months…
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Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten
Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls—the book title was clever. I’m not sure what I expected to find once I started reading. This is a good thing. Any book title is used to draw readers in: it makes them want to lift the cover and glance at the first page, where there should be a hook.…
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David Copperfield: Intro
The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery. This is the original title of Charles Dickens’ eighth novel, published in serial form in the year 1850. Now sold as a 700-page book, it was originally released in 19 monthly one-shilling installments. This makes for a delightfully long story…
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On Dusty Bookshelves
Last year in August, I started a reading journal. It is literally a list of books I read and when I finish them. As the list started to grow over passing weeks, I realized that when I pay attention–real attention–to what a book is saying, there is a lot between the lines that a skim…
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A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
I was looking for a lighthearted read to end the year of 2017. Perfectly suited for the job, A Study in Charlotte turned out to be a clever and captivating spinoff of Sherlock Holmes. Parallels to the classic mystery books give it a sense of familiarity–“I’ve read this before!”–while the new setting made it refreshing.…
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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Merry Christmas! I hope you’ve had a blessed day! Every year at around this time, I read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It is my favorite book, because Scrooge’s experiences with the Ghosts of Christmas make me reflect on my own life. The link between his story and our lives might be difficult to admit.…
Mariella Hunt & the Tearoom 