Anne Lamott's essays are always wonderful – funny, serious and true. The one in today's (Sunday – 11/18/12) New York Times, about the blessings of her imperfect family and their love of books is one of her best – Check it out: Lamott essay I'm also reading her new book, Help, Thanks, Wow: Three Essential Prayers. Even…
teaching writing
The Very Last Message from the Marketing Whore
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
The last message of 2012 anyway. First of all, thanks to all of you who came to the book party and reading at Diesel Bookstore last Thursday night. You were a great audience. And thank you Diane Leslie for that lovely introduction and Rob Daly for handling the wine. So there's just one more talk,…
teaching writing
How to Write
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
This says it all. (Image stolen from UCLA Extension Writers' Program Facebook page.) Hope to see you at the book party at Diesel Bookstore tomorrow night in Brentwood. (7:00). Nelson will be there too. Tomorrow night meaning November 8th -
Inspiration
Update and Writing Advice
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
R. left the hospital at noon today with his new aortic valve in place. This is less than forty-eight hours after it was put in. This is so amazing we still can't believe it. No pain; he's absolutely fine. Thanks for the emails with best wishes and prayers and good thoughts.(They worked!) I forwarded them…
teaching writing
On A Personal Note…
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
R. is having an aortic valve transplant today and happily, and luckily, got chosen for the less invasive procedure. (Which is still in clinical trials.) We're feeling very positive. His photo show opens next week at G2 Gallery in Venice, CA and you're all invited to the opening party next Friday at 6:30. Amazingly the…
Inspiration
Lake Arrowhead Retreat
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
This was the fifth or sixth writers retreat I've given at the UCLA Conference Center in Lake Arrowhead, and each time I learn something new. This time I learned that ten is the perfect number for a retreat. And also (again and again) that writers can make sudden, amazing leaps in their work – it…
Teaching Writing, The Writing Life
A Quote for Writing Retreats
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
(writers retreat 2011- ) The 2012 Writers Retreat is this weekend in Lake Arrowhead and I'm excited about working with the writers who are attending. Three days of gorgeous fall weather in the mountains and nothing for them to do but write or read or hike. Also the meals are fabulous at the UCLA Conference…
Inspiration
Inspiration: Sandra Cisneros
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
Sometimes the pieces of life come together in a way that all you can do is say is thank you, thank you. Tomorrow I start teaching "Writing the Healing Story" at UCLA Extension and today running errands I was listening to NPR (KPCC) when Sandra Cisneros was interviewed by A Martinez about her new book,…
Getting Published
An Invitation
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
If you live in Los Angeles, please come to a wine and cheese party for A Year of Writing Dangerously at Diesel Books in Brentwood on November 8th. I'll be reading excerpts from the book and Nelson will be kissing people. We had a great time at Pages Bookstore in Manhattan Beach last week.…
Getting Published, Inspiration
Beauty and Laughter
by Barbara Abercrombie • • 0 Comments
My dear student Rabbi Julie Pelc Adler just sent me the above in an email. She and her husband Ami had received a box of his old childhood books from his mother for their soon-to-be-born baby and one of the books was The Other Side of a Poem – my first book published in 1977. It had…
