Here's the beautiful cover New World Library is giving my next book, Kicking in the Wall. It's coming out in May. Right now I'm going over the final edits for the manuscript and they've done such a good job on it that there's not a whole lot to do. It all looks so easy at…
teaching writing
Friends with Vision
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
We went to the opening reception for our friend Charlie Kaplan's sculpture exhibit Saturday night. Little white gloves were handed out so everyone could touch the pieces, which added a whole other dimension of appreciation. We'd seen Charlie's sculptures before of course but never all in the same space, and all that art and talent and…
Inspiration
Inauguration Poem
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
Did you watch the inauguration yesterday? If you missed Richard Blanco's perfect and beautiful poem, here's a link to it: http://soc.li/CjdcAzT (And thanks to my brother for sending me the link this morning.)
Getting Started
Mea Culpa
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
I've had half a dozen really good ideas for this blog during the past week – mostly whan I'm walking Nelson first thing in the morning. Interesting stuff about writing, lots of inspiration – but you know what? I didn't write any of it down. I thought oh, I'll remember that, I'll write the post…
teaching writing
Stand By Your Work
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
Here's a excerpt from an email I just got from my friend Carol Perkins who always sends me interesting information and introductions to writers I don't know about: * * * Have you read/are you familiar with the Irish writer/journalist Nuala O'Faolain? Her memoirs in particular: "Are You Somebody?", "My Dream of You,"…
Inspiration
Let Yourself be Wrong, Get Sloppy
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
There's a terrific piece by Hugo Lindgren about writing and creativity in this Sunday"s New York Times magazine. In it he quotes John Lasseter of Pixar about the creative process behind his movies: "Be wrong as fast as you can." This is such good advice for writers! If you set out for your writing to…
Inspiration
Happy New Year!
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
Guess what's finally finished?! (And has inspired my next book.) Remodeling a house is like writing – you go through long periods of doubt and struggle wondering why you ever thought this project was a good idea in the first place. Any kind of creativity ends up making a huge mess of things in the…
Inspiration
Happy Holidays!
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
Read, write, enjoy your family and friends, and take long winter naps. Love from Nelson and Barbara
teaching writing
What You Owe Your Readers
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
My friend Elizabeth just emailed me this: Quote of the day (NYTimes) from Martin Amis: "He didn't want to please the readers. He wanted to stretch them until they twanged." I love this. Don't try to please your readers, respect them, but don't pander. It's okay to make them nervous and uncomfortable. Let them twang. The…
Fooling Around with Poems
Thanksgiving Poem
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
"Thanks" is the poem I'm reading to my class this morning. (I always read a poem at the beginning of every class I teach.) My thought on poetry is that it either hits you in the heart or doesn't. Poems don't need intellectual understanding – though that can deepen your appreciation of the poem later.…
