Dost thou wish to be praised by a man who curses himself thrice every hour? Wouldst thou wish to please a man who does not please himself? Does a man please himself who repents of nearly everything that he does? - Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations, Book VIII Most writers will tell you that envying the… Continue reading On Envying Other Writers
Tag: worthiness
Art is Your Right
Don’t buy into the romantic assumption that being a creative artist is easy for those who are truly talented and meant to do it. This is a materialistic commercial lie. Something I believe: art is part of being human and must therefore be available to everyone. And those who do it right never find it… Continue reading Art is Your Right
The Year of the Bastard: A True Life Story from the MFA Underground
1. Bad Juju My eyes were opened and I understood. “I can tell you one thing,” said Louie, taking a drag on his cigarette and leaning back in his chair, “he steps over the line again and we’ll have words.” “You won’t do anything of the sort. Don’t be ridiculous,” said Burt. “I’ll kill the… Continue reading The Year of the Bastard: A True Life Story from the MFA Underground
From Estonia with Love
I love Tallinn. It’s ancient and modern at the same time. The people are cultured and willing to forgive me for being a stupid American. In fact, an Estonian friend recently gave me the option of being an apprentice Estonian, which I took as a compliment—even though I am and will always be a child… Continue reading From Estonia with Love
The Bullets
Leaving the country is a lot like dying. At least, this is how people act when they learn that your destination will be a place where the dominant skin color isn't white. As soon as you say you're going, friends and family, even soon-to-be former co-workers, begin to mourn. And eventually you stop telling people… Continue reading The Bullets
The Replacements
It’s an old story. Boy meets girl. Boy marries girl. Kids. One of them dies, is imprisoned, is atomized in a steel box, gets deported, is spontaneously liquefied while buying a hot dog, is eaten by bears, runs off with a radio preacher, or goes out for a pack of smokes for 30 years. Everyone… Continue reading The Replacements
The Writing Expedition 