Chris Abouzeid's Blog, page 51

Fifty+ Shades of Publishing A First Book When Over 40 (50, 60, 70, 80, 90 Years-Old

  By Randy Susan Meyers I tried to resist writing this—especially after my plea against categorizing authors.  Plus, so many of us hide our age in this world of never-get-old, unearthing this information, even in our Googlized world, was difficult. But, recently, along with the plethora of lists of writers under 40, ...

Born Free and Me

By Leslie Greffenius   Born Free is a 1960 book (and 1966 British docudrama) about a real-life couple, Joy Adamson and her husband, George, who live in Kenya, where George is a game warden. When a lion is reported to be killing villagers, George tracks and kills it, but also ...

News, Tips, Reviews…From the Lit Mag O’Sphere

      We’re looking for writing, ideas and images that pull the world together for our readers. - Lynne Procope, editor of Union Station       Greeetings Lit Mag-nitudes, Hot enough for you? Excellent! Here’s the news: According to Breitbart TV, “writers who don’t necessarily agree with the left-leaning literary world ...

The Three Books That Inspired You Most

by Chris Abouzeid No one becomes a writer without being influenced by other writers. Virginia Woolf was so taken with Proust’s Swan’s Way it almost paralyzed her writing. Yet it inspired her, too, and forced her to come to terms with her own genius and limitations. When he was a ...

When the Writing Began

By Nichole Bernier The day I started keeping a journal I was twelve, an awkward twelve (as if there’s ever anything else) and brand new to town. It was the first day of seventh grade. My English teacher gave the class an assignment to write about something on our minds—anything ...

What’s Uplifting About Depressing Fiction?

Guest post by Jessica Treadway Lately I’ve been trying to figure out why a lot of novels and stories some readers find “depressing” (which is the word people always seem to use) are ones that fill other readers (like me) up — books that exhilarate us, take us over, and ...

How The Writer Turns: Oh, did I hurt your feelings?

By Laura Zigman Today, in How The Writer Turns, our heroic writer is subjected to a lesson in how to hurt a writer’s stupid feelings. (Hint: don’t open up the review section of any major newspaper and do a gender breakdown count.)

“Literary Magazines: Why Bother?”…and Other Gems From the Lit Mag O’Sphere

  This, we feel, is the most important, humbling part of the creative experience- to let go and allow for something more, something deeper to shine through. - Nicole Bouchard, editor of The Write Place at the Write Time       Greetings, Lit-urgy, From the headquarters of big dreams, grand ambition, ...

A Girl’s Love for Batman: The Possible Cost of Segregating Stories by Gender

By Julie Wu Yesterday, my four-year-old daughter got Batman sneakers.  They go nicely with her Batman shirt, Batman socks, and (temporary) Batman tattoo.  She has a Batman costume and wants a Batman backpack.  She watches Batman shows and I read her Batman books. My daughter’s Batman craze makes some people ...

The Books of My Father

By Dell Smith When my father died last November he left behind shelves of books. He had been a writer and used book dealer for much of his life. When a book dealer dies, the books he leaves behind are telling. Cleaning out his room and going through his shelves ...