Thursday, June 18, 2026

Throwback Thursday: How to Write Like Bob Dylan

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June 2016 Every once in a while you need to organize your files so you can find documents when you want them, otherwise you'll be ove...
Wednesday, June 17, 2026

When Leo Tolstoy Went to Bangladesh

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One of the unexpected pleasures of writing is discovering that words have a life of their own. You put them on paper (or more likely a compu...
Monday, June 15, 2026

Phenomenon: Awakening the Wonder Within

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Every now and then I get a hankering to see the movie Phenomenon again. For those who haven't seen it, John Travolta plays George, the ...
Sunday, June 14, 2026

Themes, Narratives and Questions

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A recurring theme that runs through much of my writing is the importance of stories as carriers of meaning. Whether writing about Borges, Or...
Saturday, June 13, 2026

An Afternoon with Congressman Jim Oberstar, Including Four Insights for Young Writers

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" My father told me when I graduated from high school, 'You have two choices. You can work in the mines, or go to college to create...
Thursday, June 11, 2026

Why “Sonny” Resonates Across Generations

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Sometime this winter a recording of the song "Sonny" by the Irish folk singer Mary Black, accompanied by Emmylou Harris and Dolore...
Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Journal Notes from the Summer of '93

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In early 1993, I pitched a book idea to Thomas Nelson Publishing and a movie concept to a producer on the set of Iron Will , and within a mo...