I am currently taking a class on Creative Non-Fiction, a class designed to expose MFA students to various kinds of works within this genre, so that they may identify and analyze the various techniques that authors use in crafting their works. One of the authors that I had the good fortune of reading is David [...]

I first encountered the poem below, by Bob Hicok, in an issue of Poets & Writers magazine and was absolutely throttled. He inspired me for a season to write, write, and write. I am absolutely envious of his voice and talent, and I admire his down to earth attitude about writing. This quote gives a [...]

I translated the following poem for my Translation of Chilean and Spanish Poetry class. It is by Homero Aridjis, a poet and journalist who abides in Mexico. The process of translating is one frought with many challenges, a reality that is manifold for poetry. I am in debt to the professor for certain aspects of [...]

The following parable was written by Franz Kafka, and it has inspired numerous interpretations. So, read it and tell me what you think it means.
Before the law sits a gatekeeper. To this gatekeeper comes a man from the country who asks to gain entry into the law. But the gatekeeper says that he [...]

This is perhaps a work in progress, and yet I am comfortable enough to post it. Chris, if you read this, it was inspired by an event that I was not aware of until you lifted the veil. For anyone else, as I have heard recently and come to agree with, the author is not [...]

The following is from a poem by Pablo Neruda that continues to touch my soul in a way that I cannot quite articulate. Again and again I have returned to it to capture something that seems to be missing, to lay hold of something that I never really had. This to me is the religious [...]

Today I would like to pose a question:
Why do we tell stories?
To give you further avenues to explore, consider the following related questions: What do you think it is that attracts us to stories. What is the function of stories within a culture? On what basis do we consider a story worthy of hearing. How [...]