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The Blog.
I post bi-weekly about writing, editing, teaching, and travel.


Clutter
Consider the opening lines of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The House of the Seven Gables: Halfway down a by-street of one of our New England...
Sep 10, 20223 min read
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Simplicity
In 1942, during World War II, the United States government issued a blackout order: "Such preparations shall be made as will completely...
Sep 4, 20222 min read
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Confession
One of my favorite views in Knoxville is from the parking lot at U.T.'s visitor's center. Nestled into the hill on the west side of...
Aug 27, 20223 min read
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The Transaction
On the first day of every semester, before going over the syllabus, I ask my English 101 students to introduce themselves. “Tell us your...
Aug 20, 20224 min read
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Just start
Just start, they said. And so I did. After years of procrastinating, on a day when the power went out—when there was no internet; no...
Aug 13, 20221 min read
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Writer’s Block
I don't actually have writer's block, but I am packing to go to California and don't have time for a normal post today. I originally...
May 20, 20181 min read
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