My mom and dad in the 1960s.
Father’s Day tribute, an essay
As a Gen Xer, the first time I ever heard the word “autism” was when Rain Man came out. I sure as hell didn’t connect Dustin Hoffman’s Raymond Babbit to my family. Were it not for a new boyfriend and the force of our stories, I might be stuck in the past.
I really wanna know what you think
It is undeniable that trolls have taken over the Internet. There’s a whole societal trend for it, cancel culture. Though mercifully they don’t use that phrase in this Slate article, it’s what forced these authors to retroactively change their work. I know of others who are hesitant to publish their stories out of fear of critique. Is this a good thing?
Screenwriting ‘how-to’:
Now for some creative inspiration. First up, The Sopranos. If you’re interested in writing scenes or developing characters, here’s a deep dive into the wonder that was this moment in Sopranos history, The Pine Barrens episode.
Loglines and act breaks made graphic, thanks to some Save the Cat magic.
Need some accountability?
It’s not too late to join Jami Attenberg’s #1000wordsofsummer, daily prompts and reminders that YOU CAN WRITE IT, JUST START.
That’s life
Menopause! There. I said it. But no one has done tribute to it like Mary Rueffle, in this compelling piece in Granta.
And while we’re on the topic, I love this LitHub piece on why we need more stories about older women. Readers of my memoir who have a long memory may recall, one of the things I learned about being a woman in Qatar was that the freedoms given older women presented far more powerful prospects.
If you loved Mare of Easttown…
Well, this may offend you. But I LOVED it!