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The Vitality of Publishing

The Vitality of Publishing

Penguin Random House wants to merge with Simon & Schuster. Such an action would bring together two of the biggest players in the publishing world. Penguin Random House alone owns 300 imprints worldwide and releases 15,000 titles a year. Often, Penguin and Simon...
Drawing Dragons

Drawing Dragons

I lost one of my favorite childhood books. It was called “The Wizard of Maldoone.” For some reason, this book came to mind a couple of weeks ago. It was suddenly very important for me to locate another copy of this book. I had a very clear impression of the book –...
The Suspense of the Idea

The Suspense of the Idea

For inspiration, I frequently turn to Patricia Highsmith’s classic on fiction writing, “Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction.” She turned out many psychologically gripping tales, including “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and “Strangers on a Train,” during her heralded...
Puppets, Escape, and the Artist

Puppets, Escape, and the Artist

Last week, I wrote an entry about Amal, the larger-than-life puppet who has made her way from the Turkish border to the United Kingdom over the past several weeks. Little Amal is a Syrian refugee, desperately trying to escape the terror of a long-standing civil war in...
The Puppet and her Travels

The Puppet and her Travels

I have been transfixed by the travels of Amal over the past several weeks. Finally, her legs have stretched over the English Channel. She has finally reached her destination. One might wonder about the legs of a little girl crossing the strait between France and...
The Haunting

The Haunting

It must be the season. I wonder about a certain rhythm to my work. I often find myself deep within the creative process. At this moment, the wave of enthusiasm that I am riding comes crashing down. All of the sentences that I have painstakingly put down on paper...