What’s wrong with this sentence? “It was a letter from my lover; my heart thumped, my stomach sank, my breath stopped, and my hands shook as I opened it.”
Barbara’s Riffs on Life
The Writing Room: Two Must-Have Craft Journals for the Literary Writer
Of all the books and magazines that come my way each week, my favorites are the ones that talk about writing — like Poets & Writers and Writer’s Chronicle. Read more.
Book Openers: Green for God
A review of two new books that explore the confluence of spiritual and environmental concerns, “Holy Ground: A Gathering of Voices on Caring for Creation” from Sierra Club books, and “The Green Bible: Understand the Bible’s Powerful Message for the Earth” from HarperOne.
A Mother Who Prevailed at Auschwitz
When Ernie Hollander’s family arrived at Auschwitz in 1944, his mother was ordered to the right, his sisters to the left. Read more.
Writing Room: Ending Paragraphs and Sentences with a Bang
The most powerful place in a paragraph is its last sentence. More precisely, the most powerful place in a paragraph is the last few words of that sentence. Read more.
A Case of the Human Condition: Choose Me, Please!
Jury duty is a lot like fourth grade softball. Something in me wants to be on the team. If there is choosing going on, I want to be among the chosen. Read more.