Writing a title for a flash fiction or nonfiction piece is like dipping your oar into the roaring water while whitewater rafting. That oar stroke had better do some major work. The flash title is the oar that steers your little…
What really exists is not things made but things in the making. —William James How other kinds of beings see us matters. That other kinds of beings see us changes things. —Eduardo Kohn In my upcoming class, Memory Space: Inherited…
In the beginning of my writing career, it was a given that I’d say “Absolutely” or “Yes” to almost anything asked of me—oftentimes watching others reaping the benefits or, even worse, finding out that the heartfelt energy I’d put into…
“To be an immigrant is to always live in some state of exile, even if its shadow seems to have grown faint inside us; you cannot forget your old homes, no matter how comfortingly familiar your new destination becomes, or…
la·cu·na (ləˈk(y)o͞onə): n. (plural lacunae). 1. an unfilled space or interval; a gap. (“the journal has filled a lacuna in Middle Eastern studies”). 2. a missing portion in a book or manuscript. 3. (anatomy) a cavity or depression, especially in bone….
It was my own struggle with the pain from my childhood—followed by my ultimate decision to write my story—that made me understand the life-changing power of personal narrative. I’d tried to write Hippie Boy for more than a decade. But…
Or: You Never Know When Research Will Prove Useful 1. Not all Navel-Gazing Is Bad A few weeks ago, I published a review of the electronic duo Matmos’s new album, Plastic Anniversary. At the risk of repeating myself, Plastic Anniversary—which…
“To write one’s life is to live it twice.” So says my first memoir teacher, Patricia Hampl. Certainly, writing about your life has all kinds of benefits, from better understanding the past to capturing the essence of your memories in…
We live in an age where writing is genre-fluid. Some of us have learned, some of us have adapted, and some of us have always been there. Wherever you are in the spectrum right now, it is a wonderful time…
What is a lexicon? A wordbook. The vocabulary proper to some department of knowledge or sphere of activity. The vocabulary or word-stock of a region, particular speaker, etc. A list of words or names. Why have a lexicon? “The writers…
Writing character—whether a fabricated one in fiction, a remembered one in memoir, or an imagined historical figure in a poem—can be daunting. Often, we focus too much on how the character looks. We write them as if we were…
An investigative journalist by trade, I am a novelist and essayist by vocation. Today, I encourage you to use research to engage with the world. Don’t just sit at home, typing and scrolling. Google will not get you there. And…
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re at your computer or on your cell phone and you’re scrolling through what might be of interest as you wait for a bus to arrive or a delivery person to bring you some…
It’s hard to believe 2018 is almost over. Whether you’re hoping to get one last great read in before the start of the new year or plan for 2019, these recommendations from Hugo House teachers are sure to inspire and…
In addition to yearlong courses, we’re now excited to offer a track of classes in Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction. These classes are designed to help you feel confident when progressing through your writing, equipping you with the appropriate tools,…