Category Archives: Academic

The words of the prophets

2020’s AWP Conference (#awpocalypse) was held in San Antonio during a declared state of disaster and public health emergency. I went to a reading at a wonderful dive bar, where a song lyric about Lenny Bruce was painted on a wall.…

March 8, 2020 – 9:32 pm | By Admin | Posted in Academic | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The words of the prophets

Threats

Thanks to Amelia Gray for coming to New York to visit classes and read from her new novel. Scales fell from eyes. Lives were changed. Her novel, Threats, is available now!
 
 
 
 
 
 
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February 27, 2012 – 1:23 am | By Admin | Posted in Academic, Reading, Writing | Comments Off on Threats

The Man in the (Plastic) Iron Mask

I travel to the &Now Conference and UCSD, site of my past glory transgressions. Look for me where the red tide rises.…

October 22, 2011 – 10:29 pm | By Admin | Posted in Academic, Reading, Writing | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Man in the (Plastic) Iron Mask

AWP DC

Against all odds, we made it to DC for the AWP Conference. Avoided the storm of the century even though many of our colleagues did not. Think Millenium Falcon escaping the second Death Star explosion.…

February 3, 2011 – 9:26 pm | By Admin | Posted in Academic, Writing | Tagged | Comments Off on AWP DC

The novel

A new semester, a new set of challenges. Pages, pages, pages……

January 17, 2011 – 1:22 am | By Admin | Posted in Academic, Reading, Writing | Comments Off on The novel

Once upon a time in the midwest

I recently participated on a panel about the inner workings of the literary magazine. Along the way, it turned into “horror stories from a former editor.” Unfortunately, it was all true.…

October 20, 2010 – 1:09 am | By Admin | Posted in Academic | Comments Off on Once upon a time in the midwest

This is Water

Another school year ends. Another wave of hopeful graduates. Here’s David Foster Wallace’s excellent commencement address.…

May 30, 2010 – 8:53 am | By Admin | Posted in Academic | Comments Off on This is Water

The End is Nigh

See if you can tell which lines are from all-campus announcements and which are from the apocalyptic novels we read this semester:

Our students are getting sick now in large numbers.

Late yesterday afternoon, a Hamilton student went to the Health Center with flu-like symptoms consistent with the virus.

The student has been isolated in …

December 18, 2009 – 12:04 am | By Admin | Posted in Academic | Tagged | Comments Off on The End is Nigh

DWC YMCA SYR

I’m working with the Downtown Writer’s Center of Syracuse this semester and will be teaching a course in the spring. Very positive experience so far which makes me look forward to the upcoming workshop.…

October 31, 2009 – 10:10 pm | By Admin | Posted in Academic | Tagged | Comments Off on DWC YMCA SYR

Lightlessness

Once again, I take on the role of Visiting Professor of English at Hamilton College. This year, my courses focus on apocalyptic themes in literature. I’m afraid the reading list isn’t very cheerful.…

August 5, 2009 – 10:33 pm | By Admin | Posted in Academic | Tagged | Comments Off on Lightlessness