All of It

A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

Speechwriter Joke

A speechwriter walks into a bar... have you heard that one? A speechwriter joke? That's right, a speechwriter walks into a bar. That's not a joke. That's the whole thing. There's no punch line. It's a common fact. You could swap out "speechwriter" for almost any...

Let’s Think

Most of my writing looks like this. I spend a lot of time thinking, and whether I'm writing a speech, a short story, or a poem, I have a strong sense of how it will go before I hit the keyboard. I could be in my studio, or here, you see me here, in my library. I'm...

A Life in the Air Force

This weekend, a client of mine retired from the US Air Force. I wrote her speech and trained her to deliver it. You don’t know her name, and she wasn’t involved in any famous initiatives. Not directly. She worked behind the scenes supporting those who support those...

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Spoon River Anthology Review

Spoon River Anthology There is no Spoon River, IL. Check your map. Several towns argue that they stake their claim in being what Masters asserted to be this mythical town. Petersburg and Lewistown, two towns of otherwise minor repute seem closest... but it is so much...

Story Influences

We are, to a degree, what we read and who we know. I started on a new story yesterday that examines the human condition in regard to pride, greed, narcissism, and revenge. As I thought about it, I realized there are six strong influences on this particular story....

National Poetry Month

This is National Poetry Month. Read poetry. Don't give it lip service. Read some. Go ahead. Now. Online. Google poetry. Or any poet you've ever heard about since birth. Or buy some online (this searches poetry on Amazon). Write a poem. Be funny. Be sad. Be sweet. Be...

Writing Through Thinking

WRITING TIP: I often write before I touch a keyboard. When I'm working with a client, I listen. I try to learn their voice and their message. Then I write the speech in my head. Actually, I don't write it. I deliver it to an imaginary audience. I'll speak...

Don’t Miss the Message

Don't miss the message. Otherwise, you might get bit by a snake. Where I live, it's a real warning, not merely a metaphor. I took the photo of this sign. Several other signs like this were through the park. Copperheads are the biggest, but not only threat. This isn't...

On Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize in Literature. I don't know if he cares... or if he doesn't. We've never chatted. It is what it is. I'm a writer. Things like that catch my eye. What I like about it -- Bob getting the award -- is it caused a new look at his old work...

Rudy Trendl

That's my late dad, Rudy Trendl. More of a joke teller than witty, but as you can see, he had a smile ready to go. Here, he's celebrating his 80th birthday, some eight months before he died. He helped me professionally without realizing it. As founder and head coach...

Reviewing Poetry Translations

Reviewing Poetry Translations Years back, I reviewed a number of translations: Hungarian-translated-into-English books. Mostly poetry. While I feel comfortable reviewing poetry in English, I realized how important to know Hungarian culture and history is. I know bits...