Audrey Kalman's Blog, page 2

Serialized fiction: opportunity or fad?

A particular form of story popular in the Victorian era became known as the “penny dreadful,” which tells you pretty much everything you need to know about it. Often these stories, detailing lurid crimes or scandalous activities, were cheaply printed so as to be available for a penny to a mass audience. They weren’t intended... Continue Reading →

Cat Blog #1: Challenge accepted

Over the holidays, the cats and dogs got up to mischief. In particular, Ruby, the Springer Spaniel belonging to my good friend and fellow writer Lisa Meltzer Penn, sent a missive to my Tabby, Joshua. I almost didn't let him read it. But then I relented, and of course, he had to respond. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:First of all, what is with this “invitation” thing? Yeah, this dog “Ruby” may have started blogging a while ago but it was my human (I am not going to stoop to calling her my “mother”) who had the idea of an interspecies conversation. But I am big enough to overlook that.

Ready to test your EQ*?

When the days are lengthening, it is possible to believe that eternal expansion is possible, that whatever is happening now will continue, only better, and that life is always on the upswing.

What’s to celebrate?

There seems little to celebrate these days, and far too few ways to do so even if you have the inclination. Besides, the only kinds of parties you can have are those that happen outdoors, at a distance, or on a video conferencing app.

So I thought it might be time for a blog party.

Get ye some accountability!

ac·count·a·bil·i·ty: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions Over the past five (!) months, since I have been staying home more than going out, I have developed a new appreciation for a sometimes-overlooked writing tool: accountability. The first step in achieving any goal is articulating it to yourself. The... Continue Reading →

The intersection of here and now: a status update collage

Ah, possibility. Which spoke to choose? Words + art Almost all of us, whether involved in a creative endeavor or not, find concentration elusive these days. Even those blessed with circumstances that allow us to weather the pandemic in relative ease are not immune from the world’s collective grief. And that is a hard place... Continue Reading →

Showing up, this morning and every morning

Every morning I sit in my kitchen at the mahogany table my father built. At this time of year the sun rises to the left, out of the window’s frame. If I’m up early enough I watch the light change from mauve to peach to yellow, promising another flawless northern California day. I look through... Continue Reading →

A love letter to the coronavirus

If you are looking to get away from thinking about COVID-19, you may want to skip this post. After weeks of trying—and failing—to turn my writing away from the reality we’re all living, I decided to confront it directly. Doing so has helped clear a space for focusing on other things. Is it a love... Continue Reading →

My extra-hot habit

The first time I took a hot yoga class, I thought I was going to expire in the studio. It’s 90 minutes of 26 yoga postures in a room heated to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). If that sounds insane… well, it is. So I’ll forgive you calling me crazy for not only returning... Continue Reading →

Continuing in ode mode

The excellent dystopian episodic series Black Mirror explores the dark underbelly of technology, especially of the social webs we weave. For longer than most, displaying my Luddite late-adopter tendencies, I used my cell phone only for phone-ly things: making calls. Even after getting a smart phone, I didn’t do much more than text. Eventually, I... Continue Reading →