RM Kinder by Mary Halla
RM Kinder by Sarah Nguyen
Category Archives: Thoughts on Reading and Writing
Grand Passion
When I was about ten, we lived in a small rented house with no bathroom inside—a nice outhouse at the corner of the back yard. The yard itself was generous, flat, sunny, bordered by trees that shaded only sections as … Continue reading
To Borrow a Phrase: Is it stealing a word?
In an interview about writing Bel Canto, Ann Patchett mentions “stealing”a sentence. The interviewer says, “that’s what writing is all about,” and Patchett responds, “yes” and laughs. She had used a statement overheard after an opera, Rusalka, that was subtly … Continue reading
Flourishing
I’m very sentimental, and I like to mark special occasions with some memento or ritual. When my first book was released, I bought three ballpoint pens that I planned to sign books with. The pens looked a little romantic (now … Continue reading
On Shakespeare’s Birthday, a Double Superlative
My favorite grammar book is this old Reed and Kellogg Higher Lessons in English, a teacher’s handbook. I believe it was in a box of books my mother was given by two retired teachers, sisters, who lived three houses south … Continue reading
Thoughts on Reading: Ted Chiang
Ted Chiang’s work is so unlike any fiction I read, or at least have read in recent years, that I feel I’m out of my league, and yet totally involved–the science is made understandable, believable, and positive. I feel hopeful … Continue reading
Thoughts on Voice and Style
When I think of an author’s voice, I think of far more than just the style of a particular story or even of a group of writings. I think of the philosophy conveyed by that voice, maybe from one piece … Continue reading
R. M. Kinder 