by Jamie Chavez | Feb 16, 2013 | The Arts & Media
I sometimes write marketing copy for publishers—copy for the book jacket or the back of the book, of course, but also 150 words for the wholesale catalogue, 50 words for a print ad, 25 words for a retail direct-mail blurb, 10 for a web banner. I often tell writers to...
by Jamie Chavez | Oct 31, 2012 | Words & Language
By now you know I’m endlessly fascinated by words, words, words, particularly the way different groups and cultures use them. (I’m going to note right here that some of the words that follow are strong ones. It can’t be helped. You’ll live.) I particularly love idioms...
by Jamie Chavez | Mar 17, 2012 | Miscellany
Sung by both Scots and Irish, this traditional song is often performed at the end of a gathering of friends (say, at a pub), but also at wakes. Think of the POV: it can be either from a person who is leaving the gathering … or from that of the corpse. You can hear...
by Jamie Chavez | May 19, 2011 | Authors & Other Writers, The Writing Craft
My friend Joyce Magnin—the talented author of the Bright’s Pond series, among other things—has been blogging in the last several days on the writing life. I’ve loved, in particular, her thoughts on writing what you know: From the age of nine to fifty I had many...
