FREE RESOURCES
Thanks for your interest! Here are links to the free resources that are available:
Ten Years of Writing about Poetry Has Taught Me This
Poetry is the most textured form of writing. It attracts artists who weave sounds and images with mystery. They may be cranky (T. S. Eliot) or homesick (Seamus Heaney) or humorous (Billy Collins). They may believe that poetry is an instrument of investigation (Jane Hirshfield) or necessary as bread in the pockets of the hungry (Mary Oliver) or should light up the sky (Ted Kooser). They may believe that achieving clarity is a quest, not a burden (Carl Sandburg) or that poetry can unite a nation (Amanda Gorman) or should possess an electrifying undercurrent (Louise Glück). Read at your own risk.
Before You Begin Writing Your Memoir
For those who would like to write about their life, this five-page guide helps you begin. For many of us, beginning is the hardest step in the process of writing. I will help you under your choices, which will increase your confidence and curiosity.
For those who ask, “How do I structure my memoir” and “How do I decide what to include?” here is a list of memoirs with interesting designs. These 10 pieces are from A Fine Line, my blog about books. Each 100-word post includes links to additional information.
10 Best Books for Teachers in 2025
I’m a skeptic – especially when it comes to advice for teachers at colleges and universities. I’ve seen scores of “best practices” rise and fall since I taught my first writing courses in the 1980s. There have been some exceptions, of course, where the authors have convinced me to reconsider my assumptions. From my 68 blog posts about books for teachers, these are the ten books that I have found to be the most useful.
10 Ways Memoirists Write about Social Justice and Science
For those who ask, “How do I write about social justice or science from a personal perspective – without sounding dry and academic?” and “Can I show how my life experiences influence me when I write about serious topics?” here is a list of memoirs with interesting solutions. These 10 pieces are from A Fine Line, my blog about books. Each 100-word post includes links to additional information.