Yearly Archives: 2012

When words are off on holiday someplace you are not, numbers can abide the time. Here’s a few: 50The average age of authors (1955-2004) when their novels hit #1 on New York Times bestseller list. 27The number of publishers who … Continue reading →

I was named Michele instead of Lisa (a name Mom liked immensely) because Mom judged “Lisa Larson” put folks in a sing-songy frame of mind. “Lisa Larson,” “Lisa Larson,” does have a tweety-bird ring to it, I agree; yet I … Continue reading →

It behooves us to honor elocution (a manner of speaking in public) as learning opportunities, what eloquent teachers might call teachable moments. Lately there have been several turns of phrase by speakers of English I never heard before. This may … Continue reading →

There are many reasons folks don’t write. Lack of talent isn’t one of them. Format training is. Not always, but sometimes. Format training varies, but one that most of us have met is the essay-question format. The word “ESSAY” literally … Continue reading →

Folks don’t write for many reasons. Lack of talent isn’t one of them. Approval is. It must be human to seek approval, else why would we seek it? However, writing isn’t approvable. It’s renegade and messy and formless in its … Continue reading →

Some things done are difficult to undo. I learned this during a 1963 snowstorm in Elmhurst Il in the company of my brother Mark, seven years younger than me, and thus not liable in any way for the DO, which … Continue reading →

At Immaculate Conception high school during Elmhurst, Illinois’ aging 1960s, girls basketball provided a glimpse into tomorrowland, if you are optimistic by nature. Then, the rules were just like boys’ basketball except for dribbling. Girls could take three steps. Three … Continue reading →