as an author, the knowledge i’ve learned over the past four months working in publishing - operating on the other side of the fence, so to speak - has been invaluable. i never quite understood the process from when a manuscript is circulated for review, discussed in editorial meetings (and the fascinating conversations that ensue) […]

The intrepid Robert Birnbaum interviews Edward P. Jones, author of All Aunt Hagar’s Children.
RB: Is it the case that the characters that inhabit your stories, are always hanging around?
EJ: No, I don’t think so. They don’t have any life without the life that I give them. So I am not sitting there —and […]

in our home there were no preserves, no little silver tins of beluga and sturgeon. there was no creamed butter, tenderloin or rosemary risotto and thymed lamb. we were potato people, hoarders of the infamous oodles and noodles, packages foods and chicken legs wrapped in brown paper, so you looked less poor. we bought $1 […]

before i start this post, let me clue you in on the current state of affairs. i look much like a weeping cocaine addict. i have allergies and it has been murder. if i’m not howling into a puffs plus while sneezing uncontrollably (imagine this in an editorial meeting where i have to run out […]

am i the only one SHAKING HERE??!! i have been in major swoon over nigella lawson since her stint on the E!/Style channel, where finally, a gorgeous (and not anorexic. love you giada, but EAT) smart cook doled out simple recipes and having fun while doing it. not a trained chef, but a food […]

i said this aloud to myself last night as i was coming home from the gym. it’s a two-mile walk from my gym to my home and while many of my friends think I’m crazy for selecting a location that defies logic, i wouldn’t have it any other way. when i’m angry, confused or just […]

one of the bravest women i know (and dearest to my heart) is cris beam. not only is she simply a beautiful friend, she gave me the courage to complete my memoir when it was in its nascent stages and i wanted to chuck the whole thing out the window. having witnessed her courage […]

long week - 2-day corporate summit for the day job, birthday parties, work, catching-up, fall madness, etc, etc, etc. am taking some quiet time this weekend to regroup AND get excited about my taiwan trip with my best pal.

have you checked out Small Spiral Notebook lately? We’ve got interviews with Emily Barton, Ryan Murphy, Wendy Spero, Joe Meno, Kelly Braffet, a rountable discussion with some of the contributors to This Is Not Chick Lit. We’ve got an interview with Edward P. Jones in the cooker and we’ve revamped our blog!
And of course, […]

We are surrounded by myriad brands, flashing neon signs, billboards, labels on our heads, feet and bodies, and the objects we hold in our hands. But what happens when one man tries to live without them?
so begins this fascinating experiment conducted by a brit, who having been addicted to brands, having his life […]

it was a lovely weekend to purchase a literary journal - if only people were buying (ok, maybe they were just not buying mine. fair enough, until i spoke to other lit mag editors who grumbled about very meager sales). saturday’s brooklyn book festival ushered out a sampling of nyc’s most talented writers, a […]

i’m going to taiwan in november and i am THRILLED. do you hear me? THRILLED.

our homes are sacrosanct. they’re concrete structures, bomb-proof, terror-proof, and they’re outfitted with pima sheets, curtains that hang from silver fluted rods, welcome mats that tickle your feet, a fridge overflowing with ripe figs, fluorescent-colored juices and lettuce spilling over bamboo bowls - a cooled garden. roasting chickens and rosemary new potatoes are fragrant. […]