“You can’t put a fire out,” she said so quietly that only Ímah could hear her, and she exhaled. “You can’t. A fire goes and goes, Ímah, and we endlessly give to fire the things that ignite and burn the world. You can’t fold a flood in your pocket, but the wind finds it out ..read more

I’m thirty percent done with the second book of the Isles Quartet, my four book fantasy series. For those new to the blog, this is the fantasy books I talked myself into writing when I was trying to talk my daughter into writing a fantasy novel/series. My intention is to finish Along the Way this ..read more

This is something I wrote this morning—a tale within the tale of my second book: WistThistle: Along the Way. A little background: Éhto is the main character throughout the four books of WistThistle, like Ged in Earthsea. Duni doesn’t speak the language of Éhto, but Éhto speaks Duni’s language and is translating Duni’s story for ..read more

I’m now reading Rebecca Patterson’s book “Emily Dickinson’s Imagery” (published posthumously). Patterson was the first Dickinson scholar (if I’m reading the preface correctly) who, in 1951, posited Dickinson’s lesbian attachments, which was greeted just as you would expect—with shock and rejection by some and revelatory acceptance by others. As Margaret Freeman writes: “[Patterson’s] hypothesis that ..read more

The Color of the Grave is Green—The Outer Grave—I mean—You would not know it from the Field—Except it own a Stone—To help the fond—to find it—Too infinite asleepTo stop and tell them where it is—But just a Daisy—deep—The Color of the Grave is white—The outer Grave—I mean—You would not know it from the Drifts—In Winter—till ..read more

I know those strains you’re whistling now You hear the music too—Seductive little madrigals— O yes, I’m sure you do.You talk to me about the starlings I say it’s chickadees.Let’s both of us debate the birds And never mind the bees—The bee that flies melodiously To kiss the neighbor’s flower;The neighbor’s hummingbird that sips The ..read more

Margo Olaffson represents a new type of pre-agency, Agent², that promises to help authors target agents. While agents submit an author’s book manuscript to publishers, pre-agents use their in-depth knowledge of agents (and their agencies) to submit to them query letters. Where the agent represents the author’s manuscript, the pre-agent represents the author’s query letter ..read more

Yesterday I was out grocery shopping and was waiting to pick up my wife at the bus depot (returning from Europe), and killed some time at Barnes & Noble. The Sci-Fi Fantasy section was my playground, and I was there for one reason. I wanted to see how fantasy authors were writing their novels—stylistically. That ..read more

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,And Mourners to and froKept treading - treading - till it seemedThat Sense was breaking through -And when they all were seated,A Service, like a Drum -Kept beating - beating - till I thoughtMy mind was going numb -And then I heard them lift a BoxAnd creak across my ..read more

I died for Beauty — but was scarceAdjusted in the Tomb,When One who died for Truth, was lainIn an adjoining room —He questioned softly "Why I failed"?"For Beauty", I replied."And I — for Truth - Themself are one —We Brethren are", He said —And so, as Kinsmen, met a Night —We talked between the Rooms ..read more