In our Writing Lessons series, writers and writing students will discuss lessons learned, epiphanies about craft, and the challenges of studying writing. This week, we hear from Ann Swindell, a graduate of the MFA program at Seattle Pacific University, and a visiting instructor of English at Wheaton College. You can follow Ann on Twitter @annswindell. —Andrew…
Hello! It’s winter! Which means snow here in Iowa. Here’s a cute puppy running through some: And here’s me, Florida girl that I am: But winter doesn’t only mean cold. It also means a brand new issue of Ploughshares, and a playlist to go with it! Here are nine songs to go with nine…
Christy Burch didn’t think she was a writer. This was before she worked with rape crisis centers and with the Kentucky Domestic Violence Association (KDVA), working with advocates statewide to support victims of violence. While in these roles, she was instrumental in the release and pardon of thirteen incarcerated, battered women. She also discovered her writing side:…
“But rather, what the devil am I going to do with you?” In John Fowles’s The French Lieutenant’s Woman, the unnamed narrator poses this question to himself about the character sleeping before him. Only he isn’t just the narrator; he’s much more than that. He’s part of a group of fictional writers I’ll…
Celeste Ng After one year of writing my novel, I took stock of what I’d accomplished—which seemed like very little. Would writing always feel like flailing? How do novelists find their way through? For guidance, I turned to published novelists, whose interviews are presented in the One Year In: Writing the Novel series. Today’s novelist is Celeste…
In our Writing Lessons series, writers and writing students will discuss lessons learned, epiphanies about craft, and the challenges of studying writing. This week, we hear from Eric McDowell, a graduate of the MFA program at the University of Michigan. —Andrew Ladd, Blog Editor How did you lose your first tooth? I was at home, in…
The ‘Writers and Their Pets’ series began with my own desire to celebrate my dog Sally, and since then I have also invited other writers to share with the rest of us the details of their lives with beloved pets. Today, please enjoy this essay by Carol Keeley. —Ladette Randolph, Editor-in-Chief It was a kill shelter, the…
Two years ago next week, my dog died. I still miss him for many reasons, but what I miss the most is his companionship while I write. It’s a strange thing to sit inside all day, not even on the phone or online, simply communing with the imaginary people in your head. But it’s…
In a previous post I wrote about Midwestern literature and spent a lot of time defending the region against attack. But there certainly are folks who enjoy the flatland’s contributions to American letters. In fact, more than a few commented and tweeted about their favorites. To keep this conversation going, I emailed a few writers…
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