When Leonardo da Vinci died, the amazing all-things Renaissance man who changed the world forever as an engineer, a scientist, an artist, a sculptor, an architect, a chef, and a bazillion other things — his final words amounted to the effect of, “Forgive me for not having accomplished everything I set out to do.” Let… Continue reading Magic: Leonardo da Vinci Journaled and Affirmed by da-AL→
When I was young and naive enough to believe I had a good shot at making a living as a free-lance writer, I attended lots of writer’s workshops. They were always interesting, and some of the tips helped me place articles with local magazines and neighborhood newspapers. I never did make a lot of money as a writer…my largest claim to fame was a short article in Bride’s magazine and the publication of one (count it, one) children’s book. Still, I learned a lot in those workshops about writing, and especially about the delicate balance between giving an editor whatever he or she wants and developing my own unique “voice.”
The voice of an author is what distinguishes one writer’s work from everyone else’s. It is what comes out when a writer taps into his or her deepest beliefs, inner-most fears, cherished dreams, etc. It communicates the unique perspective of…
I’m featuring E.B. White again this week. Known to 20th century readers of the New Yorker magazine, he is best known for his three beloved, classic children’s books: Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web, and The Trumpet of the Swan. He also co-authored a classic book for writers, The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White.
In case you need some peace and quiet in the midst of your summer, here is another of White’s quotes:
“A library is a good place to go when you feel unhappy, for there in a book, you may find encouragement and comfort. A library is a good place to go when you feel bewildered or undecided, for there, in a book, you may have your question answered. Books are good company in sad times and happy times, for books are people —people who have managed to stay alive by…
It was sometime in 1954 in Berlin, that I met this person in a shop. I do not remember his name, but one look at each other was enough to convince us that we both belonged to the Indian subcontinent.
We started chatting, surprisingly not in our common Urdu or Hindi, but in German, a foreign language which we were fluent in! He was holding a small book in his hand – Omar Khayyam’s Rubayyat – in German. I had heard about Omar Khayyam, but had never read the English translation as I disliked that language then. He praised Omar Khayyam no end and out of curiosity I just skimmed through the book. I was certainly impressed and made it a point to buy it the very next day. After exchanging pleasantries we bade each other goodbye, never to meet again. I read and reread that tiny booklet and even…
When I was young and naive enough to believe I had a good shot at making a living as a free-lance writer, I attended lots of writer’s workshops. They were always interesting, and some of the tips helped me place articles with local magazines and neighborhood newspapers. I never did make a lot of money as a writer…my largest claim to fame was a short article in Bride’s magazine and the publication of one (count it, one) children’s book. Still, I learned a lot in those workshops about writing, and especially about the delicate balance between giving an editor whatever he or she wants and developing my own unique “voice.”
E.B. White in Maine with his dog, Minnie 
