On Teaching
In my first class, I give the "talent and tenacity" talk. I believe that writing is 95% tenacity and 5% talent. But you do need that 5%! In my classes, students develop their own ideas for stories and then go out and do them. I believe in the workshop approach -- doing stories, not talking about doing them. The student who puts their best effort into my classes comes out a better writer -- guaranteed. We work hard in my classes and we laugh a lot. What else can you do? Writing is so difficult. The trip from the brain down to the fingertips poised over a keyboard is the longest of any we make in life. Seeing something and then getting it right on the page is awesomely difficult -- but an ultimately satisfying experience.
On Writing
I often write about religion and religious belief. I think deep within everyone is a spiritual hunger and how that is played out in individual lives, on the national scene and within institutions fascinates me. I like to be around people who take their spiritual and religious lives seriously.
I believe in spending enough time with a subject or on a story so natural events occur and, in effect, provide the elements of the narrative structure. The significant detail tells far more than most quotes. Observation is key, so that you have the raw material to work with. Time, writing takes time -- and gathering the material for good non-fiction work takes time. There are no short cuts, sorry to say.
Degrees
MA, Columbia University Grad. School of
Journalism
BA, Marquette University
Visiting Adjunct Professor
Randall Library 2064
(910)962-7225
