Right now I'm writing a nonfiction book for FSG, The Undressing of America, about the bizarre cabal of cultural fringies who revolutionized publishing in the '20s with the original "reality media." And I'm collaborating with my old NationalLampoon-mate Will J ...
Lately I've been sending my non-writer friends a few links to articles about those of us in the writing trade and our psychological peculiarities. Not the most flattering articles, but entertaining, and supporting that image of authorial eccentricity that makes our generally unglamorous lives look a bit more interesting (and often gets us off the hook for some of our less sterling behavior). One ...
My son just finished his sophomore year of high school. Something for any kid to feel pleased about, but for Nicky it was a triumph: for nearly the entire year, starting in October, he's been hammered by severe migraines. He wakes up with them, usually two bad ones a week, usually another one or two not quite as bad. The bad ones come with intense nausea, dizziness, agonizing sensitivity to light ...
When I woke up this morning the gray sky sat low and heavy on my neighborhood, and I felt sluggish and depressed and headachy and unable to stir up the energy to write. Email weather, that's what it was. Then in the afternoon the sun broke through. The stucco gleamed, the windows flashed‚ Frisco wore her finery. Instantly I was inspired: to go to the Post Office, to go the bank, to buy an iced ...
