Her piece "A Message About Messages" offers a pointed and humorous rebuttal (of which only Le Guin was capable of) to those who insist on strangling messages out of the fiction they read
Basement Missives
Progress
Didn’t get a lot of writing or revising done tonight, but I did crack open a plot point I’d quagmired myself in. A tiny victory, but I’ll take it. Be well, good people. Heaps of huzzahs to you. -Purdy
Notes from the Basement: March
Evening and huzzah, goda människor, from a basement out here in central Minnesota. I hope this missive finds you all safe, sound, hearty, and hale. Nearly bedtime around these parts, but I wanted to hop and post something before hitting the rack.
Hej Kompisa
The first day of February delivered warmer weather with the sun sticking around long enough to melt some of the snow build-up. After settling a bellyful of pancakes and coffee, we ventured out to brave the perils of Saturday Costco. The town of Anoka lies on the way to the bastion of bulk food shopping, and in this town (self-proclaimed Halloween capital of the world) is The Swedish Crown Bakery
What I Learned Writing a Short Piece of Fiction Every Day During the Month of October
It's been a week since Halloween, a week since the end of October, a week since the culmination of Short As Fictober, my self-imposed, month-long writing journey. I haven't written much of anything since then, but I have had a moment to reflect on the experience and make a plan of sorts.
Short As Fictober
Writing is a strange and giant beast, that I sometimes lose sight of the simple fact that it's supposed to be fun. I'm looking forward to what kinds of stories will happen over the next 31 days. Who's with me?
Summer Reading: Christina Henry’s THE GIRL IN RED
Finished up The Girl in Red by Christina Henry last week. Fun retelling of the Red Riding Hood narrative set in an apocalyptic, plague-ridden United States. Cordelia, or Red as she prefers, is walking to Grandma's house, and doing her best to avoid, outsmart, and overcome the military, ruthless militias, and scavengers intent on harm. … Continue reading Summer Reading: Christina Henry’s THE GIRL IN RED
Remembering David Berman
Because my car up and died shortly after moving to the Pacific Northwest, I'd ride my bike to and from work, which generally meant a commute home around one o'clock in the morning. On the ride, Berman's musical vehicle, The Silver Jews, would keep me company in my headphones.
PBS American Masters: Worlds of Ursula K Le Guin
Just finished watching PBS' excellent documentary on Ursula K. Le Guin, and would highly recommend checking it out when you get a chance.
Ruminations on God and Faith in Chuck Wendig’s Wanderers
Nearly finished with Chuck Wendig's apocalyptic tome, Wanderers, and I wanted to share a powerful exchange between two central characters (Benji, a CDC specialist, and Matthew, a broken and defeated pastor who's lost his faith). No spoilers here, just one of those heady truths we so often find in good fiction.
Purdy Good 