Wednesday, January 14, 2015

I have two pieces in the Northwest Passages

The Northwest Passage is the literary magazine at Western Oregon University, where I teach composition and literature.

I have two pieces in the issue that came out yesterday (1/13/15).

"The Berkeley Peet's" is a poem about--you guessed it the coffee shop in Berkeley, California.

"Slow Rodeo" is a short story about a drunk guy who decides to play bull poker. I am told it's really funny.

You can pick up your copy on campus, or you can follow the link and contact the Northwest Passage staff. They can probably send you one.

http://www.wou.edu/northwestpassage/

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Review of "This One is Mine" by Maria Semple

So, I'm trying to catch up with my GoodReads reviews. I'll start with the books that have left an impression, whether good or not so good. Some will be recent reads for me, others will be historical. I read This One Is Mine 2 1/2 years ago, for instance.

Enjoy!
m

This One is MineThis One is Mine by Maria Semple
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book sticks with me. Perhaps it's because the characters are drawn so well, each with his or her own type of pain and failures, contrasted with their ambitions. No one is trying to be the bad guy, but they all make choices that injure other people.

And yet, they all grow a little. Well, except the junkie. But at least he warns everyone that he is a junkie, and no one should expect anything beyond junkie behavior from him.

Somehow, Semple redeems everyone else. I'm still trying to figure out how.


View all my reviews

Saturday, January 10, 2015

What should Maren write next?


http://goo.gl/forms/DOohh65rtK

I am trying to decide on a new project. I just finished a children's adaptation of A Midsummer's Night's Dream, and it was so fun.

So, help an indecisive writer out. Please take my one-question poll by following the link above. I've put the one question below, so you can ponder it.

Thank you in advance!
m

***

If I were to write another children's play, which of the following do you all think I should write?

1. Jungle Book or any number of the "Just So" stories by Kipling
2. Beowulf
3. Gilgamesh and Enkidu
4. Theseus and the Minotaur (might get the Icarus myth in there, too)
5. Lillith Myths (I kind of like the evil/not evil dichotomy. Kind of like Maleficent, which my girls loved)