Just. Keep. Writing.

This is nothing new. I've said this many times before. A good book is the single biggest motivator to keep writing. It might be the tone of the story or the narrator's original voice or maybe just a couple of passages that fill me up with that feeling only written words can give you. That feeling that makes me think, wow, that's exactly how I would be feeling if I were in that situation. The ability to make a reader feel that way is probably a writer's greatest gift. 

It makes me want to try to make someone feel that way, too.

Thank you, Michael Northrop.   

Hidden Gems

I love finding new books. The more I read, and the more I immerse myself in the world of writing and books, the more I realize how many books and authors I've never heard of. But it's an amazing problem to have.

Just today in the the library I work at, I came across two books that completely mesmerized me. First, I was in our 20th Century history section, looking for books to pull in order to help a social studies class with a WWII assignment, when I came across photographer Joe O'Donnell's collection of post-atomic bomb photos from his time in Japan in 1945. I'd seen some of these photos before, but never in a collection quite like his, and I couldn't help but study them over and over and over. It was the type of moment that makes working in a library and trying to find sources that will help students absolutely worthwhile.

Later in the day, an unrelated conversation took a couple of sharp turns and landed on Tobias Wolff. One of my colleagues mentioned a book of Wolff's called Old School, which I'd never heard of. My colleague was surprised. I was, too, since it concerns a boys' boarding school and a writing contest and a visit by Robert Frost. Right up my alley! What surprised me even more was that we had it in our collection, right under my nose. Now, obviously, I'm aware that I don't know every title we have, but I just felt weird to have missed out on this one until now.

Such a happy accident to add to my reading list.
 

Just Finished: A Study In Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Currently Reading: The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles
Up Next: Old School by Tobias Wolff

More links!

I've adapted my VCFA graduate lecture into a mini-lesson over at Ingrid's Notes, my classmate's fantastic blog. See my post here.

And, view my latest hockey article here. (Be warned: this one is pretty hockey-nerdish).

Greatest Screenshot in History!

Links to last few hockey articles:

The High Plains

New Year's Resolution

Polls Matter



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I don't take much for granted but...

SNOW.

I definitely take snow for granted. And not even the fact that I like winter sports. I just take the phenomenon for granted. Just the fact that snow even exists. Sure, I know it can be harsh like it was over the past weekend, but when I think about how many people in the world have most likely never seen snow, it just blows my mind. The number is literally in the billions. Crazy.


Just Finished: The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
Currently Reading: A Study In Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Up Next: The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles

Wolf Moon

It's happens every January, and it makes me feel alive every time I see it. There's just something about it hanging there, bigger than it normally appears, shining down on me. It almost pulses with energy. I stared at it for quite a while this time, trying to suck in some of its energy. I figure if I store up enough, I can use some to fuel my writing on those nights when I'm running on fumes. It's free, too. Amazing!