Interpreting a Life – Thoughts on Biography & Autobiography

July 1, 2009

I posted this originally in LinkedIn Answers, in response to a question about why a writer would “bother” to compose a biography of a person who’d already written an autobiography. I’ve been intrigued by both of these genres since I could read. My thoughts: These two genres create entirely different relationships between author, subject, and [...]

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Ideas in Search of an Author

June 30, 2009

If you’ve been a professional writer long enough, you have undoubtedly gotten this request: “I have a great … story … memoir … screenplay, I just need someone to flesh it out.” In the same category are copywriting requests from prospective clients that actually entail devising the entire marketing or communications plan. It’s baffling. But [...]

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Cocooning in the Cloud

June 25, 2009

When Faith Popcorn started talking about cocooning, the Internet tools we’re using today were a gleam in someone’s eye. Today I realized I need to set aside a day or two in the coming weeks to coordinate all of my online presences, to make a welcoming cocoon of my virtual world. Right now, my spaces [...]

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Naked Ladies at the Painted Lady

June 20, 2009

…is not an accurate description of the event happening downstairs in my house as I write. A group from Southern California comes up about three times a year for live artist modeling. This time the theme is pirates – timely. No one is actually naked, though there’s thigh and cleavage in abundance. This time the [...]

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Paying Forward Some Great Advice

June 16, 2009

The June 2009 edition of the Mensa Bulletin included a feature called “Trust Me”, a collection of advice. Bernard Kitt, PhD, a psychotherapist wrote: There are three only three things to remember: 1. I will be happy. 2. I will make some money. 3. I will make other people happy. One hundred percent of the [...]

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$125K Teachers?

June 14, 2009

People are talking about the Equity Project’s high teacher compensation. By paying $125K salaries plus bonuses, the Project aims to bring “talent” to schools where underprivileged children learn. The most popular arguments for and against this tactic cover some well-tread territory: From: “If we value our kids, teachers should get paid well for the important [...]

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Why Blogs Die – and How to Save Yours

June 11, 2009

I’m guilty. I have started and abandoned more than one blog. This time, it will be different. How can I be so confident? Because I’ve changed my approach: my blog is not a writing project; it’s a publishing project. In recent history, writers and authors (whether literary creators or business communicators) have reached audiences through [...]

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Is College Necessary?

June 9, 2009

“Is college necessary?” It’s a question that touches a nerve – especially with parents of young adults, people who take great pride in their academic accomplishments, and disgruntled souls paying off hefty student loans with what could have been a house payment while working jobs they don’t like. A recent post at the blog College [...]

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Social Networking on the Job – Goofing Off or Something Else?

June 8, 2009

Author Howard Rheingold shared an intriguing definition of “social capital” in a video he posted recently. (I don’t know if it’s new or original, but I had not heard it previously.) the ease with which people can get things done without going through institutions Among the things that increasingly fall into that category – substantial [...]

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Not Just a Job – an Adventure

June 5, 2009

For nearly ten years, my life revolved around my two cats, Marmalade and Luna. Then they were both gone. I decided to make animals my job. Like a good, little academic achiever, I considered a graduate program, pursuing the Animals and Public Policy master’s degree at Tufts. When I perused the list of graduates’ achievements, [...]

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