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Thursday, September 23, 2010
Words and Pictures
I've been an artist at heart all my life, and have spent several years serving emerging artists in New York City at the
New York Academy of Art. Lately, my love for visual arts has led me back to creating images which, I believe, speak a language of
their own. Visit my photo gallery called The Upper West Side and enjoy some of the sites I encounter in my neighborhood
every day. My first photo journal is Riverside Park South, a place I feature in my written work, and a magical environment
that never fails to inspire me.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
First Readers
He took the first page of his draft and read it in a whisper. The words caught in his throat, and he sighed, exhausted,
when he finished the page. There he stood, his naked soul cringing in the cold of a stranger’s eyes. The thought of
his agent being his first reader sickened him, or even his longtime editor who predictably gushed over every new book. Gushed
over dollar signs, but that was beside the point.
It would take a special reader to make his cold soul warm. Someone
who—he didn’t know how—would give him the courage to keep writing the story. Or someone who would convince
him the book would be a mistake, and atonement could not be earned through confession. (Out of Sync, chapter 3)
My work in progress is the story of a writer who has lived his life in regret, and an artist who is afraid
to get close enough to others to feel alive. Although authors do it all the time, I haven’t written about a writer before,
and the excerpt above is a sensation all writers, to some degree, face—the moment when work formed in solitude is placed
in the hands of a reader. A difficult moment, whether it’s the first novel or third or twentieth.
A writer cannot and should not be expected to view her work objectively. How could we? Why should we? If I didn’t
love it, I wouldn’t write it. Those first readers are more important than they realize, and their impressions will influence
the story.
I have so much gratitude for
my first readers. I don’t need effusive gush. I gush about my work enough. I need an honest, thoughtful impression.
So I’m sending a huge thank-you to my early readers who help me shape my work. And thank you for keeping my soul safe
in the process.
8:10 pm
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2010.09.01 |
2010.07.01 |
2010.01.01
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Welcome to Upper West Side Stories. I love my neighborhood. Manhattan's Upper West Side, much of it a Landmarked Historical District, makes an ideal setting
for my books. From Central Park to Riverside Park, the neighborhood is rich in culture, history, and...a
bit of magic. Whether you'd prefer the seduction of god Dionysus or the rumblings of the Spirit-Gates
in Central Park, the Upper West Side will come alive to you in a new way through these stories. I hope you'll enjoy samples of my three novels. None are yet available in print,
but I will post publishing details when I have them. Also, check out Shorts and Recommendations, where I will
feature contributions from some of my favorite colleagues. If you have a short-story or novel excerpt that you'd like
to submit, please email me.
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