Monthly Archives: December 2022

It is a law of the universe: Assistance must always be given to those who request it.” Oprah Winfrey Frank Somma is a highly successful salesman, motivational speaker, and friend of my good friend and mentor, Rob Gilbert. Frank shares … Continue reading →

This delightful poem comes to us through poetry lover Rose Blessing: The SnowflakebyWalter de la Mare Before I melt,Come, look at me!This lovely icy filigree!Of a great forestIn one nightI make a wildernessOf white:By skyey coldOf crystals made, All softly, … Continue reading →

Find what gave you the emotion. Then write it down, making it clear so the reader will see it, too, and have the same feeling that you had.”Ernest Hemingway Ernest makes it sound simple, but it’s not easy! Building telling … Continue reading →

The Masters Review’s Short Story Award for New Writers is a bi-annual contest recognizing the best fiction from today’s emerging writers. Winners and honorable mentions receive agency review from five agencies as well as publication. Participating agents include: Nat Sobel … Continue reading →

“Never be afraid to sit awhile and think.” Lorraine Hansberry “Men give me credit for some genius. All the genius I have is this: When I have a subject in mind, I study it profoundly. Day and night it is … Continue reading →

“My friends are my estate.” Emily Dickinson Truly, the divine Emily captured the heart of friendship in these five words. Friends enrich our lives in so many ways. Bringing my play Dust of Egypt to the stage was a huge … Continue reading →

“For the past 50 years, I have started each da;y in the same manner. It is not a mechanical routine, but something essential to my daily life. I go to the piano and play two preludes and fugues of Bach. … Continue reading →

Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu Sunlight streaming on Incense Stone kindles violet smoke; far off I watch the waterfall plunge to the long river, flying waters descending straight three thousand feet, til I think the Milky Way has tumbled … Continue reading →

A gathering of encouraging insights and ideas to motivate us today: “Everything begins with belief.”   Norman Cousins “Seize the day. Put no trust in the morrow.”   Horace “Enthusiasm is the leaping lightning, not to be measured by horse-power of the … Continue reading →

“I’ve been teaching writing for a long time and I’ve looked through a lot of writing books. They seem just ordinary to me. There’s nothing about the way they make the case or their arguments, their thoughts, that seem compelling … Continue reading →