Monthly Archives: June 2021

“Accidents” with fruitful outcomes abound in the world of science: Vulcanized rubber was discovered by accident by Goodyear. So was the electric current by Galvani. So was practical photography by Daguerre. So was penicillin by Fleming. And so was America … Continue reading →

You give birth to that on which you fix your mind.”Antoine De Saint-Exupery  ‘The secret of success is constancy to purpose.”Benjamin Disraeli  When Frederick Douglass had to choose a name for the newspaper he created to help foment the abolition … Continue reading →

“Patience is probably at the top of everyone’s list of most sought-after qualities. Patience is defined int he dictionary as “quiet perseverance.” I agree with this definition, but patience also contains a quality of calmness that marks its outer appearance….When … Continue reading →

When the Green Woods Laugh When the green woods laugh withthe voice of joy,And the dimpling stream runslaughing by,When the air does laugh withour merry wit,And the green hills laugh with thenoise of it. When the meadows laugh with livelygreen,And … Continue reading →

When it’s possible to ‘think inside someone else’s head,’ we know we’ve succeeded in breathing life into a fictional person. Once this happens, we can stand back. The character can control his fate.” “But like dreams, there’s an endless supply … Continue reading →

Tolstoy once wrote this: “The business of art lies just in this—to make that understood and felt which, in the form of an argument, might be incomprehensible and inaccessible…. “And such has always been the nature of good, supreme art; … Continue reading →

Here’s a beautiful image of what “flow” feels like to a composer while creating music: “You are in an ecstatic state to such a point that you feel as though you almost don’t exist.I have experienced this time and time … Continue reading →

Writing is visual — it catches the eye before it has a chance to catch the brain.” William Zinsser, On Writing Well On Writing Well is one of those classic writing guides that seems to improve with age. While it … Continue reading →

“To me the greatest pleasure in writing is not what it’s about, but the music the words make.” Truman Capote Amazing, isn’t it, to think that all the books in the world, all the stories found between two covers were … Continue reading →

This week’s “Something Wonderful” is a lovely poem in celebration of Father’s Day.It reminds me of dipping my hand into the pocket of my father’s overcoat when I wasa little girl and finding all sorts of treasures: My Father’s HatsMark … Continue reading →