Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

Three quick things.

1. Coming back to planet Earth from an uplifting visit to two classes yesterday at Central Connecticut State University, where I met with students (and faculty) and talked about my short story collection Quiet Americans. I can’t remember if my host and I organized it this way back when we set the date for these presentations/conversation, but it turned out to be an especially timely visit, since Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) begins this evening.

2. In related news: Yes, last weekend’s synagogue attack in California (not to mention the responses to it) got me thinking about a lot of things that ideally, I might try to write up in an essay. But this is not an ideal moment for me to do so. I feel as though I’m running around like that proverbial headless chicken. So an essay on this topic (or on one or two other matters that have been occupying many of my intellectual and emotional energies) isn’t likely to happen anytime too soon.

3. One thing that I have managed to do: publish the May issue of the The Practicing Writer. If you’ve missed it, you can find it online here, where it shall remain until the June edition replaces it.

May it be a good May for us all!