Jobs & Working

The Nobility Of Earning A Living

10.10.2013 Art

Wealth is largely an accident. There is nothing to celebrate or congratulate about someone becoming wealthy. But there is honor in work. There is something to be admired in expertise and competence. I am impressed and often amazed when I see someone do a job, virtually any job, really, really well. Inherited wealth is very […]

3 comments Read the full article →

Read, Write, Work, Play

05.09.2013 Books and Literature

This is my advice for writers: Read, Write, Work, Play Four words. All worthy pursuits. All necessary. Combine any two. Read widely, but not just for your edification. Read to learn, to improve your work—but sometimes, often, read for fun, to entertain yourself. Write every day. Work at your craft. Strive to improve your skills. […]

0 comments Read the full article →

Staying Creative

04.18.2013 Art

Although I come from a long line of farmers, from my father all the way back to Adam, as far as I can tell, I’m setting out to found a new, non-agrarian dynasty. From here on out, we’re all artists. My daughter Kathleen just finished her graduate degree in Jazz Studies and is heading off […]

0 comments Read the full article →

Still Lives

01.15.2013 Business

My daughter Jen has begun to put her art portfolio online. It’s an important step for her as an artist. As a parent, I’m immensely proud of her, and also challenged by her evolving ways of expressing herself. One of the things that struck me was the title of one section: Still Lives. The accepted English […]

2 comments Read the full article →

My Container Store Standing Desk

11.14.2012 gadgets

Sitting and writing is killing me. Literally. And yes, I’m using the word literally correctly. I find that the longer I keep my butt in that chair and do what I need to do as a writer that the pain in my lower back and the aching in my left shoulder and numbness in my left […]

7 comments Read the full article →