People tell stories when things become unbearable. Especially then. Fiction is our way of envisaging the worst, for sure. But it is also our way of envisaging the best, the most out of the box-est, the beautiful thing that you never even dreamed of. It is what we do, as writers, and it is -- … Continue reading This is the perfect time to read and write the unreal
Category: Art and Literature
when truth continues to be stranger than fiction
I am always especially grateful when writers give me insight into the writing that I myself am trying to do. So, I'd like to give a special shout out to Mary Otis, whose novel BURST, I have just finished reading. BURST tells a moving braided tale in alternating points of view of a mother and … Continue reading when truth continues to be stranger than fiction
Some updates for June 2024
Dear friends of the unreal -- The big news is that my novella JOURNEY TO MERVEILLEUX CITY is a finalist for the Foreword INDIES book award, mystery category! The fact that this avant-gardey, magically realist infused book made it into the finals is an incredible honor, and a sign that readers are ready for more … Continue reading Some updates for June 2024
Jacques Derrida replying to Jean François Lyotard with Jonathan Glazer
This is where I put on my professor hat and try to explain how film director Jonathan Glazer makes a worthy attempt at making some links. Many years ago, when I was a professor, I taught courses on literature and film from and about the Holocaust. I was also interested -- as a scholar -- … Continue reading Jacques Derrida replying to Jean François Lyotard with Jonathan Glazer
Reading matters
Friends -- I'm sharing a little piece that I just posted on medium. Like you, I'm very distraught about the war between Israel and Hamas, and the incredible amount of killing that this conflict has incurred. What can I do, as a writer/professor here in the US? What difference can I make? Well, there is … Continue reading Reading matters
When the “unreal” strikes at home: our new blog
Happy New Year, friends of the surreal, unreal, and magically real! This year my spouse, writer Larry Behrendt and I are blogging about a joint memoir project that we are undertaking about our two grandfathers. My maternal grandfather, and Larry's paternal grandfather. Both of them told significant lies that reverberate in our own lives. You … Continue reading When the “unreal” strikes at home: our new blog
Why I tried (finally) to write a mystery
Friends -- did you know that my mom worked for a famous mystery editor? Yup. Check out my little piece about her reposted from medium! I have always loved reading — a love I got from from my mother and my maternal grandmother, who were also voracious readers. Since childhood, I adored many different genres: … Continue reading Why I tried (finally) to write a mystery
Cover Reveal for the new book departing November 1st!
My magically infused mystery novella about passengers on a vintage train heading to Quebec appears in less than a month! Here's the cover. Thank you Shannon Phillips of Picture Show Press:
choo choo!!! departing on November 1st . . .
Friends of the Unreal! Here's the first trailer for my magically tinged suspense novella about a train bound for Quebec. Take a look! https://vimeo.com/870374416?share=copy Stay tuned for more!
In case you missed it. . . My June newsletter
Hi friends! It's been a gangbuster month of... cleaning and throwing things out! Yes, we've decided after 7 years of living full time on Whidbey Island to purge our possessions and move on. To where? Well, we're hoping to move back to California, probably around the Central Coast. We'll keep you posted. Purging your possessions … Continue reading In case you missed it. . . My June newsletter
Stephanie Barbé Hammer Writing (Un) Real 