There's quite a hubbub surrounding the game Hatred. Lots of people decry its very existence, complaining that it'll lead to more violence. Plenty of people don't like the game, and they don't think it should've been made. But the truth is that Hatred appears to be more honest about violence than most any other video…
5 Ways To Give Good Feedback In Peer Writing Workshops
I've come across many aspiring writers who are frustrated with the feedback that they receive from fellow writers in workshops. And when people show me what their peers are saying about their work, I am surprised that they are frustrated. I'm astonished that they aren't downright furious. There are a multitude of things to consider…
The Truth About Great Literature
In the most recent issue of Poets & Writers, Steve Almond writes about some interesting issues in his article, "The Problem of Entitlement: A Question of Respect." In it, he attempted an amateur psychoanalysis of his students' skepticism towards the actual greatness of the stories anthologised in Best American Short Stories. To this extent, I…
Rest In Peace, Robin Williams: An Artist Whose Life Was In His Work
Robin Williams was in many of my favorite films, among them Dead Poets Society, One Hour Photo, and The Final Cut. And, from what I can gather from Stefan Molyneux's video, it would appear that Robin Williams' work reflected his life in a few telling ways throughout his career. Art imitated Williams' life in Jumanji,…
Proper Nouns and Their Distancing Effect In Writing
I believe that the use of proper nouns should be limited if one wishes to create approachable and readable fiction. Like I have already said in a previous article, I find that the use of unfamiliar proper nouns can have a detrimental effect on the reading experience. For instance, in Tobias Wolff's Old School, the…
