Capt. Mark and I have hundreds of books. Some are packed in small boxes. Others are in bookshelves scattered throughout the house. Do I need to move forty cookbooks? Will I ever crack open those Russian language books from college? Will Mark need his cruising books on the Erie Canal now that our boat is … Read more
A science fiction writer recently wrote a blog post about why it was important to read (and write) books with happy endings, with good people winning over bad, and good behavior rewarded. His theory was that in fewer years than we imagine, we could be overrun by robots and without humanizing them (by reading them … Read more
I’ve always loved to people-watch. I find myself doing it more now that I have characters to create. Why is the woman wearing a fur coat in Las Vegas in 100 degrees? Why is a ten-year-old girl folding clothes in a marina laundry room all alone? Why does the man in the Starbucks line keep … Read more
Most of us are orderly creatures. We like our coffee or tea in the morning. We have our favorite television programs. We organize our days, either on paper or in our heads, and we try to anticipate disruptions. Then life happens. I’m one of those people who likes to get up early, have coffee and … Read more
Last year I posted a list of New Year’s goals on Twitter and thought it might be nice to review them and see how I did. Dump the painfully shy persona inside you. Ditch the doormat. Learn to say no. Believe in yourself. Prepare a weekly schedule and stick to it. Live in the moment. … Read more