We’re home after a quick wonderful visit to Purdue University in Indiana, where the weather was freezing (and I mean freezing) but the reception couldn’t have been warmer.  R. gave a talk at the celebration for Dr. Arvind Raman becoming the Robert V. Adams Professor of Electrical Engineering. All of Arvind’s family was there, including his father from India and his brother from England, and afterward we all went out for a delicious family Indian dinner.

So I’ve been thinking about home a lot; how L.A. is home and how it felt looking out the plane window as we headed west Saturday night, watching that line of light as we chased the setting sun. How it feels to go away and then return home. This is one of our major themes  as writers, home and landscape and belonging.

(Two writing exercises: Write about a time you left home, how it felt. Then how it felt to return or not to return. If you’re writing fiction give this to your main character.)

A student of mine, Wendy Kennar, keeps writing, sending stuff out and getting her essays published. The latest one was in last Saturday’s L.A. Times “L.A. Affairs”. It’s the lovely story of growing up, falling in love, getting married and continuing to live in the same zip code. Some of you out there in the midwest might be going ‘what’s the big deal?’ but let me tell you, this is rare not to mention refreshing in Los Angeles. Here’s the link, check it out.  http://www.latimes.com/home/laaffairs/la-hm-0125-affairs-20140125,0,7055932.story#axzz2rL7fSHGb