Matthew Arnold Stern's Blog, page 25
October 4, 2020
More songs to raise your spirits
Two and a half years ago, I posted a list of songs that raise my spirits whenever I feel low. As we face a constant barrage of bad news and the prospect of even worse news on the horizon, it’s time again to turn to music for encouragement. Some of the most inspirational songs come […]
September 30, 2020
End the chaos
My thoughts about last night’s debate between President Trump and former Vice President Biden boil down to this: It’s 2:00 in the morning US Pacific Time. I have insomnia. I’m depressed. I’m sickened. And I despair for the future of my country. If you’re a Trump supporter, I have to ask: Are you OK with […]
September 19, 2020
Why worry?
When Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, I had the same reaction many of my family and friends did, “Damnit.” Rather than pay homage to a courageous spirit, we saw her Supreme Court vacancy as one more tumultuous thing to add to an already tumultuous year. And we may not have hit bottom yet. With a […]
September 8, 2020
Lessons from stories past
Book promotion can be fun, but at some point, you have to get back to writing. When deciding what to do next, I like to look through my boneyard and see what materials I can use. In the process, I can revisit lessons I’ve learned from past writing projects. The baseball cap I’m wearing is […]
September 1, 2020
What I want for America
The conventions have come and gone, and we got the same message from both parties: Fear. We define ourselves by what we don’t want, but no one is saying what we do want. What do we want to look like when we get through these current problems? What are our hopes for the future? What […]
August 15, 2020
Evaluation of convention speeches in 2020
In past years, I gave evaluations of the acceptance speeches at our political conventions. I’m not going to do it this year. There’s no point. It doesn’t matter what President Trump and Vice President Biden say or how well they say it because most of you have already made up your minds. You love one […]
August 4, 2020
COVID-19 and the toll of isolation
I admit that I haven’t been sympathetic to people who demand to reopen in the midst of this pandemic. When I listen to calls to reopen restaurants, businesses, and schools, I shake my head in dismay. When large crowds gather for maskless beach parties, I mutter something under my breath about Darwin and tempting fate. […]
July 27, 2020
Some truths about writing
I was interviewed by Alec Pangia of One True Promotion for the Drop A Line show. We talked about a number of experiences I’ve had as a writer, from publishing Amiga to the ways my parents influenced me. I also discussed several truths I’ve learned about writing. They are things I wished I learned when I […]
July 21, 2020
How about some good news?
We are in desperate need for good news these days. Fortunately, I have some. Here’s where you can see me online and discuss my novel Amiga. One True Promotion on Instagram Thursday, July 23, join me as I talk with One True Promotion’s Alec Pangia about Amiga and other topics. My conversation will start at 6:00 pm […]
July 10, 2020
400 books
My publisher gave me an interesting assignment as part of a marketing campaign: find 400 comparable books and 400 comparable authors. I spent several days searching through Amazon, Goodreads, and BookBub, as well as checking my social media for new books. I found more than just a list of titles, names, and ASINs. I gained […]
