Columnists

On Returning to Pen & Paper

The last time I wrote a story in a notebook must have been back in elementary school. I can remember handwriting in the thin cahiers we were given, double spacing my writing as instructed. Because I was ...

My Attraction to Gritty Stories

Not all stories are romantic or are tied up neatly at the end. Sometimes characters do not have a redeeming quality, and sometimes their experiences have made them hard and difficult to “save.” Gritty ...

How to Keep Dreaming in the Pandemic (or, How I Finished the Third Draft of my Novel)

Living in a pandemic means that we are facing death every day. Thinking about death pushed me into survival mode. I was stressed and depressed to the point of migraines and insomnia. I stopped doing things ...

The Power of a Great Title

 We all know about the power of a good cover, but what about the power of a great title?I’ve worked in publishing for nearly fifteen years now and attended upwards of seventy-five tradeshows across ...

Book Therapy: Still Here, and the Soothing Lure of Thrillers

  “No. This is not where I die, Clare thinks. I am not still here, still alive, only to die now."—Amy Stuart, Still Here I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how when I was in my late twenties ...

Finding Our Intentional Role in the Black Lives Matter Movement

As a Black professional in the publishing industry, I have been listening deeply to all of the conversations taking place around what folks can do to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Some of these ...

Five Tips for Writing About Tough Topics for Children and Teens

The best comedy often comes from life’s darker moments. Read up on any comedian and you’ll likely learn about their tumultuous beginnings, middles and ends. (Especially, on Twitter. Literally. At ...

On Reclaiming Brokenness and Refusing the Violence of ‘Recovery Narratives’

I’m working on this essay when a friend texts me. His therapist suggested he write a list of things that he likes about himself but the picture that shows up on my phone is just a blank page.“Having ...

On Collaboration and Trust

 "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." – Helen Keller I crave collaboration. When I was young, I had no desire to connect or work closely with people in the way that I do today. ...

Making Time: Why Now is the Perfect Time for Tarot

I don’t want to pretend that I know the history of the Tarot or how it should be used, but I’ve been using it for the last three years because it’s been immensely helpful. I’m not an “expert,” ...