Discover the power of putting your feelings on the page, along with advice to help you find the words Have you ever penned a poem or scribbled a short story inspired by something hard you’ve been through? Maybe you’ve written a personal essay exploring your emotions, or found solace in the pages of your journal. […]
Photo by engin akyurt via Unsplash People told me not to write about mom rage. ( Consider the internet trolls! Consider your children! ) They cautioned me not to publish under my real name. ( It will follow you for the rest of your life! ) When my book published , they said I should […]
Subscribe Strange, short, and diverting writing delivered to your inbox every Monday.. You Look Like a Skoo and You Smell Like One, Too Skoo Once upon a time, I had a terrible marriage. We couldn’t stop fighting. We fought all night. We fought so loudly the neighbors complained. We threw things and called each other […]
In 2019, I watched a fantastic (in both senses of the word) documentary called Tell Me Who I Am. It tells the story of Alex and Marcus Lewis, identical twins whose lives were upended by an unusual, perhaps even unprecedented, form of amnesia. As a teenager, Alex suffered an accident that destroyed his memory; he […]
Michelle Poirier Brown was shortlisted for the Federation of B.C. Writers poetry contest in 2023 Michelle Poirier Brown has been amazed by the writing community in the Okanagan since she moved to Vernon from Victoria Jan. 1, 2022. Her poem, Barefoot in the Salish Sea, was shortlisted for a 2023 Federation of BC Writers Award. […]
Proust lover Trevor Cribben Merrill How do authors get away with shallow, shabby, venal, morally deficient characters who appall us … but nevertheless, we read on? Trevor Cribben Merrill , author of Minor Indignities , explains: “the ‘spirit of the author’ shields the reader from the characters, ‘drawing the poison’ from their negative qualities of […]
negative tone words Are you familiar with the concept of negative tone words? The mood and emotion conveyed through writing is a key component of what makes it effective, and tone words are a powerful tool at your disposal. This guide focuses exclusively on one type of tone words – negative tone words . These […]
Photo by Yannick Pulver on Unsplash I find the idea of starting something new thrilling. I have learned to embrace the fear that comes along with it. Every time I sit down to begin a project, I always think about those people who go to Coney Island on New Year’s Day—the members of the Polar […]
An illustration shows two faces in silhouette, overlaid with the outlines of a map of Libya. A crescent moon, a star and red and green swatches of color, hinting at the national flag, can be seen as well. MY FRIENDS, by Hisham Matar In the works of the Libyan-born writer Hisham Matar, a few subjects […]
Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia by Kate Manne Keep LARB free! Donations matched through Jan. 13! LARB publishes daily without a paywall as part of our mission to make rigorous, incisive, and engaging writing on every aspect of literature, culture, and the arts freely accessible to the public. Donate today and your gift will go […]
