Monthly Archives: February 2026

It is frosty here in the Northeast — very frosty—it’s 20 degrees outside. That’s cooo-ld! To help warm our hearts and souls, let’s turn to “Summer Sun,”* a lovely poem by Robert Louis Stevenson. Let me share a few lines: … Continue reading →

« There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are. » W. Somerset Maugham Quick questions: Did James Joyce like to write at night or in the morning? How about Hemingway? Did Marcel Proust prefer tea … Continue reading →

When J.K. Rowling was writing her now-legendary Harry Potter series, one of the tools she used at some point was a version of storyboarding: She mapped out her chapter outlines and plot points using vertical columns on a sheet of … Continue reading →

The first day of February is the day Langston Hughes was born in 1902. In honor of this legendary poet and the launch of Black History Month, here’s a wonderful poem of his a poetry lover passed on to me: … Continue reading →