10 Word Nerdy Tips for Frankenstorm Apocalypse Preparedness
29
Oct
I lay awake in bed at 5:30 this morning as the windows shuddered and the wind howled. The cats prowled restlessly and the old radiators whistled and creaked. Back issues of Creative Nonfiction, the latest issues of Esquire and Vanity Fair, my new copy of The New New Journalism were in a loose pile next to the bed. My Kindle was plugged in [...]
Where Are All the NJ Word Nerds Hanging Out?
28
Sep
Maybe 15 years ago, back when the Montclair Book Center was still the Page One Café, I barely stepped into my local Barnes & Noble. Why would I? Instead, I spent hours browsing the books — old and new — on the left side of Page One. On the right side, there was a café. [...]
How to Find the Right Balance Between Connected Writer and Crazy Recluse
18
Sep
I crossed and recrossed my legs uncomfortably, picked cat hair off my skirt, and leaned away from the passenger sitting beside me as the 195 bus made its way in fits and starts into the city. Only several hours before, I’d been having a Skype video chat with fellow writer and YEC member Dave Ursillo [...]
Which Books Have Inspired Your Writing?
11
Sep
When I was a 5-year-old aspiring poet, I devoured books of poetry by Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allen Poe, memorizing lines that spoke to the part of me that knew I’d one day work with words. Later on, as a teenager, I read Bill Ervolino‘s humor column religiously, soaking in his words over breakfast while seated [...]
Choosing to Change Course Doesn’t Mean I Failed… Right?
6
Sep
<— This brilliant illustration perfectly conveys exactly how I’ve been feeling these past couple of months. I posted about my depression / career-related identity crisis just last week, and am still struggling to scramble my way out of that hole. Yesterday, I took my laptop to my favorite local cafe and tried to co-work with [...]
Why I Don’t Want to Have It All
29
Aug
Class started off slow. Instead of sitting cross-legged on our mats, hands resting palms-up on our knees, we rolled up blankets and placed them — lengthwise — beneath our backs. We stretched out, our heads propped up on blocks, our arms flung out to our sides, our eyes closed. We concentrated on the rise and [...]
So You’re a Freelancer. Do You Still Need a Resume?
10
Aug
I’ve always been a cover/query letter junkie. My freshman year of college, I learned from my most favorite professor of all time that all resumes looked the same. It was the cover letter that set you apart. So when I fled the corporate world five years ago to freelance full-time, I was relieved. Finally, I thought. I can [...]
Join My Quasi-Secret Word Nerd Facebook Group Maybe?
8
Aug
Hey guys. This totally doesn’t count as this week’s actual blog post, but I just wanted to let y’all know that I’ve created a quasi-secret Facebook group for word nerds. Basically, it’s an invite-only Facebook group I’m using as a testing ground for features that will eventually appear on the still-being-developed Word Nerd Networking site. I’m [...]
The Circuitous Route from Pitch to Publish
3
Aug
I once took a non-credit, continuing education class at the New School called From Pitch to Publish. It was about developing and pitching personal essays and narrative journalism pieces to print publications, but I feel the simplicity of the name hints at the vision many of us have of the book publishing process, too: 1. [...]
Why I’m No Longer Fit for an Office Environment
26
Jul
I’m already several hours into my workday, and I’m still unshowered, wearing the pajama top that sometimes slips down so low I unintentionally flash my husband. My hair hangs in oily, unattractive clumps, and I sorta smell. I mean, I’d like to shower, but I’m pretty sure that as soon as I disrobe, that package [...]