Join local author, Mubanga Kalimamukwento, for a discussion of her books. Sponsored by Story Line Books. The event will include complimentary appetizers and a cash bar. This event will be held on the ...

My lifelong writing goal has always been simple: walk into a Barnes and Noble and see my name on a book. Well, I’m almost there 🙂 Instead of seeing my name on a book, I can see my name in one. F(r)iction’s newest issue, Oceans, is out, and unlike every other print magazine I’ve been published in—which were only available online—F(r)iction is stocked in Barnes and Nobles stores across the country!

I’ve always said poetry and I don’t get along. Unless we’re talking about Shel Silverstein or Lewis Carroll. Maybe some Wallace Stevens. Anyway, poetry wasn’t something I ever wanted to write. But this spring, I was at a reading and heard someone (apologies for forgetting exactly who) perform a poem about Kobe Bryant—and I got inspired. Around the same time, Ichiro Suzuki had just been elected to the MLB Hall of Fame.

Unanimous, they said he would be. How else do you name someone who could turn a fastball into a haiku? ash against leather cleats whisper across the dirt the outfi...

This is it. One more day and I’ll have my MFA in hand and a noticeable amount of time now available to write things of my choosing. I don’t want that to sound like I’m complaining about the work I did in the MFA—many of my published short pieces came directly from assignments. But I do have drafts of four different novels that I haven’t had time to go back to, so this summer will include a fair amount of editing and revising.

Hey all. This’ll be a quick one. While at AWP I was talking with a horror writer and we were sharing setting ideas. We both have personal history in rural settings, and after I described my setting and a general idea to go with it, he full body shivered and told me to write the story. ASAP. Now that thesis is in, I think that’ll be a good mental reset before I finish drafting the novel.

Two weeks ago I flew to LA to attend this year’s AWP Conference and Bookfair. AWP itself was about the same as usual: some good panels (yay Juan Carlos Reyes), some not-so-good panels (I’m too nice to name names), and too many books finding their way into my backpack (who’s excited for Gods?!). A few AWP firsts:

Twenty-two years ago I moved from Washington State to St. Paul, Minnesota, starting my adult life at the small liberal arts school, Hamline University. My expectation was that I would obtain an aca…

Twenty-two years ago I moved from Washington State to St. Paul, Minnesota, starting my adult life at the small liberal arts school, Hamline University. My expectation was that I would obtain an academic education (at the time I thought I was going to be a journalist) and that Hamline was the next step in my journey. While I did get that academic education, Hamline also provided me with community.

SAVE HAMLINE'S MFA PROGRAM and WATER~STONE REVIEW

YouTube video by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Last spring I decided to have a portion of my novel take place in Los Angeles. One chapter would be closer to downtown, and two chapters would be in Santa Monica. I’ve never been to LA, so I did a bunch of research, found some locations that worked well for theme and ambiance, and went to town. Then I found out AWP would be in LA this year.

I’m a couple of weeks late on this, and for that I’ll, without reserve, throw my kids under the bus. Just before and just after New Years I went to the emergency room twice (one a piece), and there’s just been a surplus of vomit in the house. Totally their fault. Especially since my wife and I got incredibly sick after that.