Monthly Archives: May 2011
So. I was nearly killed this afternoon. And how was your day?
This last week, I’ve been inundated with omens of death: a crow with a duck in its mouth; a hawk feasting on the brains of a rabbit; baby bullheads snacking on tadpoles; and etc. And while I thought it was … Continue reading
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Tagged Crazy Minnesota Drivers, Dark Tunnel, Minneapolis, The Long
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Dreams, Signs, Wonders (Is there a difference between novel writing and clinical insanity? Probably not.)
There’s a magic thing that happens when a book takes over your life. There is….an unpinning from the world. A sense of nonbeing – or, perhaps multi-being. When I start a book, it feels like play. I doodle pictures of my … Continue reading
Everything I know about the work and joy of marriage I learned from my gay married friends.
Well, maybe not everything. But a lot, anyway. For those of you who may be reading this from far-away places – particularly those of you who may have the good fortune to live in states and countries who acknowledge and … Continue reading
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Tagged gay marriage ban, girding my loins, marriage, Minnesota, money, politics, time for battle.
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On Entropy, Accretion and Exploding Novels
There was a time in my life when I was a lot tougher than I am now. And though I was strong enough to break a man’s nose (and did once, but that is another story) that time in my … Continue reading
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Tagged astronomy, books, deathlessness, entropy, fiction is my job, formation of stars, horsehead nebula, nebula, new novels, novels, writing, Young Adult Literature, youth
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And GOD gaveth her a SON to teacheth her HUMILITY
In honor of the recent anniversary of the King James Bible, I’ve been thinking a lot about admonishments – from clergy, from doctors, from teachers, from little old neighbor ladies, from televangelists, from uptight uncles, and from moms. This mom, … Continue reading
First Lines
Just a quick post today, as I hurry out the door to conduct my very last story-writing workshop at Chanhassen Elementary. But I wanted to share with you just a tiny bit of what these kids are doing. I like … Continue reading
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Tagged Creative writing, fiction is my job, fourth graders, my job totally rules, Teaching
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In Which Kelly Barnhill Reveals Herself (yet again) To Be A Total Moron
It’s a well-known fact that I am not, nor have I ever been, the sharpest knife in the drawer, nor the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree nor the quickest cart in the Home Depot Parking Lot Shopping Cart Derby. … Continue reading
The Perils of Photography (or, My Life-Long Obsession With Oscar Wilde)
My whole life, I’ve wanted to be this guy: Oscar Wilde. Man of wit, elegance and grace. His stories were delicate, lovely and brutal. He managed to be both honest and coy at the same time and managed a frankness … Continue reading
Why I love teaching
I can barely hold my fingers steady over the keyboard at present, and will be soon, and gratefully, folding my tired little carcass into my covers and sleeping for something in the order of one thousand years, but I wanted … Continue reading
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Tagged compas arts, fiction residency, schools, teachers, teaching creative writing, transformative thinking
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