this just in: my collection of short stories, "postcards from heartthrob town" has been chosen for a
2008 eric hoffer book award: "notable distinction" --in the newly created category of "memoir." the awards are held annually to honor excellence in books created through independent publishers. what great news for april!
"if the reader prefers, this book may be regarded as fiction"
from the preface to "a movable feast" by ernest hemingway
deep gratitude: today i spent the day talking to graduate students about the craft of writing at the medill school of journalism at northwestern university in evanston, illinois. author and new york times journalist
stephen kinzer invited me to speak to his students in a course called "the art of nonfiction" about my book "postcards from heartthrob town." i am tremendously grateful for the opportunity. during the roundtable discussion, some insightful observations and remarks came from his grad students, namely: how does an author reconcile the mix of genres in a book: in the case of "postcards"--what exactly is autobiofiction or what is fact, what is fiction, what is memoir, what is invention? stephen kinzer offered powerful insights into crafting a book and i'm so honored to have been included in his syllabus. it was a thrill to be able to share what i know about working on a short story collection. thank you to everyone in professor kinzer's class for making this a cardinal experience for me!
