Letter for Steve Champion
I am writing on behalf of Steve Champion, who I've spoken to this morning (April 15, 2007). He is in Orange, California for a court date, which is why… More
Rereading Saul Bellow
[2000] The Adventures of Augie March (1953) The transformation of the novelist who published Dangling Man in 1944 and The Victim in 1947 into the novelist who published The Adventures… More
Bright Eyes, Brown Skin: Talking Openly to Children About Racial Differences
Bright eyes, brown skinA heart shaped faceA dimpled chinBright eyes, cheeks that glowChubby fingers, ticklish toesA playful grinA perfect noseVery special hair and clothesBright eyes, ears to listenLips that… More
Writers Like Me
I am a 46-year-old writer of “literary” fiction. I’ve had three novels published — the first for young people, the last two for adults. All have won minor prizes,… More
Writing Melitte
In my young adult novel Melitte, I did not let readers know that she was a slave until the third chapter. I wanted them first to identify with the… More
The View From Tehran
Most Iranians, I believe, share a broad outlook on American foreign policy: they think that Iran is valued only for its vast energy resources and its role in regional… More
A Requiem for Freddy
His liver destroyed by Hepatitis C, Robert Hagenson didn’t receive a transplant, but a type of early parole—in a body bag. His sudden deterioration and death hit many of… More
The Novelist and the Curious Cabbie
I was standing on the curb, uptown, my hand raised for a cab. It was evening, and the sky was clear and the air cool. I had plenty of… More
Convicts and Communities
The reinvestment of dignity into hopeless convicts—which is after all the definition of rehabilitation—is not much in vogue in America. There is little urgency to rebuild broken individuals and… More
Paralegal Training for the Formerly Incarcerated
The Paralegal Training for the Formerly Incarcerated (PTFI) is a job-skills training initiative. The program offers a certified paralegal training to formerly incarcerated individuals and helps with job placement.… More