Jeffrey Cramer argues that if you read Henry David Thoreau’s Walden as an autobiographical record, you are bound to be disappointed. (After all, Thoreau was selective about what he included, and the bits he didn’t write about – such as having his sisters do his laundry – seem to undercut … Read More
Month: August 2018
“Once upon a time, there was a woman who discovered she had turned into the wrong person.”
Stating the premise of your work simply and clearly in the first sentence requires courage. Readers might say, “Is that all?” Or, some might feel skeptical about your ability to show how an original story can follow from a classic premise that Kafka, Dante, and other masters have already used. … Read More
“You have to turn now to all the other wounded people around you, and find a way to connect with them.”
When Johann Hari comes to the final chapter in his book on depression, he offers the advice that he wishes he had received when he was diagnosed with clinical depression decades ago. He believes that instead of focusing on “chemical imbalances” we should focus on “power imbalances” that lead to … Read More