Parts of Speaking Publishing

I am watching Zelensky on Fox News. He was treated shamefully. I am proud of Fox/Bret Bair for having him on--it's a slap in Trump's face, and of Zelensky.  Christians need to pray hard that God gets a hold of Trump and slaps his face spiritually. He needs a reality check.  Yesterday he treated an anti-semitic socialist as a good guy. And today this.  No words.  I steal this from Atlantic Monthly: Friday, February 28, 2025, will go into the history books as one of the grimmest days in American diplomacy, the beginning of a long-term disaster that every American, every U.S. ally, and anyone who cares about the future of democracy will have to endure. With the White House’s betrayal of Ukraine capping a month of authoritarian chaos in America, Putin, along with other dictators around the world, can finally look at Trump with confidence and think:  one of us.

The Georgia Writers Museum folks really, really promote the Townsend Prize, but it is is big deal and I still can't believe this.  I am a dark horse to win (well.....) but, heh, it's all good.     https://www.artsatl.org/heres-why-each-of-the-2025-townsend-prize-finalists-could-win/?swcfpc=1&fbclid=IwY2xjawImqDhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHdyD4JPQqtLrBnDsssZnZYK8ju9Pc45R2AXjRq1xaW66aHWLY7Wzc5W6Vw_aem_mSzorPZ7NM0bBcWja0jY3Q

My goal of posting something worthwhile every day was disrupted by illness and a trip. I have recalibrated and caught up yesterday.  I am preparing for a podcast taping this morning that I am a little nervous about. Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting the TN Aquarium after many years. I went with my daughter-in-law and granddaughter. She said "Oh" and pointed a lot, meaning she was interacting with it and creating lots of neural pathways.  It was great fun. Also, saying "daughter" is even more fun.  The Franklin Covey Planner quote for the day is profound, even if the source is considered a turncoat in the Fundamentalist world. Harry Emerson Fosdick said, Don't simply retire from something, have something to retire to. In 3.5 months, this will happen to me.  I am making sure that happens. I am retiring to family, ministry, and art. I am retiring from headaches, drama, bureaucracy, and the tedious grading of teaching. I will still get to do all the things I ...

  My dog ran away. Again. He does that. I’ve managed to keep him in for over a week. He’ll come back caked with mud, because we’ve had some heavy rains and there are lots of luscious puddles for him. I went out to the front yard driveway and stood for about three or four minutes, hoping he would sense my presence and willingly come around the corner and respond to my loving calls. Not. But as a stood there, I saw a flock of birds leave my yard, settle in my neighbors, and then take flight to try their luck at the next neighbors’. They were all black, not a lick of color in the crowd. They were looking for worms, I suppose, or anything else on the lawns of Whitfield County. “ I need to go back and fill up my feeders,” I thought. Yes, and buy some more feed. Which led to a reflection, not quite this orderly, but…. 1. Didn’t Jesus say God feeds them? Don’t the birds exist and even flourish without my cute little feeders full of Pennington seed? 2. Do I really want...

On February 2 I put out the solo podcast episode that was part 1 of this series. If I didn’t anger you or totally discourage you, I’m going solo again to continue my take on “So you want to write a novel.” Today, preparing yourself, your work environment, and your story. In the first episode in this series, I said a lot of things being truthful about the novel-writing process. Mainly, I wanted to make the point that if you don’t read a lot of novels, starting to write a novel is probably not the best place to start writing a novel. That sounds circular, yes I know. I suggested writing a memoir or a short story, for instance, or even short creative nonfiction. I am not going to jump into a discussion of plot structure, character development and world building just yet. I want to start with preparing yourself. 1. You need to read a few good books on writing, but not all at once and not necessarily the ones people tell you to, even me. Therein lies the problem. If you haven’t read a lo...

This is my story. In May 2024 I found myself in a writing rut. Actually more like a trench, maybe a grave. I just didn’t want to write. By that I don’t mean I didn’t want to pick up a pen and journal for the day, something I have done since July 3, 1976, which makes a pretty much consistent daily journaling record of 48 years. (I have boxes of journals and notebooks.) I meant I did not want to write anything for public consumption. I did not want to start, pick up, or finish a writing project. I have a lot of started drafts in different stages—at least 4 novels and 3 Bible study books, a memoir, and three nonfiction books. Some are just notes or outlines, and some contain several pages or even chapters. Putting words on paper or a screen is not hard for me. It’s therapeutic, it’s part of my life practice. But I had gotten to the point where I really didn’t care if I ever published another thing or posted another essay to my blog. What had happened? Burnout from work. Had decided t...

This is the transcript of my most recent podcast, a solo one by me.   Welcome to this early February 2025 episode of Dialogues with Creators. Over the last three years I have talked with over fifty fascianting people from all walks of life. On this show, I’m going solo to talk about one of my favorite subject, fiction and fiction writing. Please keep listening for “So you want to write a novel.” The first thing I want to say is that I feel like I’m something of an expert for three reasons. I have a master’s degree in English—which a lot of folks who even know me well don’t know. Second, I have read a lot of novels over the years. I most recently read The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, a masterpiece but in its own way raw and brutal. Third, I have published ten novels and ten more planned, with at least four in some draft form. So, I know a little about this subject. I want to start with the question: why? 1. Not for money. 2. Not for glory. 3. Incredibly time cons...

I had the pleasure of hearing E.G. Kight, the Georgia Songbird, perform at our college on the 29th.  It changed my life. I do not say that flippantly.  If you get a chance to see her perform, take it. You won't be sorry.  I have a day to myself to write. I often say I have a fiction brain and an expository brain. My fiction brain has not been exercised, or exorcised, in a long while and it is starting to come out in my dreams.  Back to work.  Please tune into my podcast, Dialogues with Creators.  It's as good as any other "talk show" podcast you will listen to. Today I'm working on a solo on novel writing.  February has arrived. January was long and cold and dark, but God is good. Our grandchild celebrated a year of life. I have four more months of  full-time professional life.  This will include 1. training my replacement (chair) 2. hiring my replacement (professor line) 3. trying to get Cherokee taught at my college (my department covers la...