Throughout my life, I’ve been what Anne Fadiman* would call a “carnal lover” of books, rather than a “courtly lover,” like my sister and at least one of my sons. Their books leave their hands in pristine condition, unmarked by their passing. I, on the other hand, love my books to death. As a youth, […]

(This is the last installment on this topic, continued from Words and Pictures I: Childhood and Words and Pictures II: Growing Up.) What I’ve learned from this double vision of the world is that the basic ingredient for visual art and fiction is OBSERVATION. If you’ve ever drawn a picture of something that didn’t turn […]

Check out Words and Pictures Part I, about my early interest in the verbal and the pictorial. My family loved to read. As we reached high school, paperback books often went the rounds, with each reader initialing the inside cover. When the book had been read by everyone, it landed in a box by the […]

Just so you know, any photo or visual art you see here is mine, unless otherwise indicated. Pictures are as essential to my creative work as words are. In fact, the two hold hands every step of the way. Let me explain: I’ve always struggled between the language of words and the language of pictures. […]

Say you have a vision. Something original, exciting, and scary. Perhaps you want to do something new. I’m not talking about having toast instead of yogurt for breakfast; I’m talking about one of those ideas that tends to sit in the mind for a while, that thrills and terrifies, and then more often than not […]

The bluebird nest in our yard this summer set me thinking. The eggs were stunning: the brilliant blue of a Lake Tahoe sky in a smooth, elegant shape to fit the palm of the hand. Just like an idea for a story. It often seems marvelous – even perfect — when first conceived. But it […]

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The Individual Internet Presence is so much a part of our world that it’s easy to forget how public it is. After all, sitting alone at a desk feels very private, but hitting the “publish” button changes everything. As I dive in, I do wonder just how deep it is, how easily one can get […]

A new website, a new adventure.  Watch this space for something considerably more interesting.  Try next week. In the meantime, think about coffee in Portugal on a dazzling summer day.  Sit back, sip the heady brew, and sketch on the tablecloth.