Never not writing

A lot of writers and other artists have a bit of Thurber in them.

Even when you’re not writing, you’re writing.

I said this recently to a writer-friend who had not been doing much writing lately. My remark was an attempt to help my friend feel better, but I’m not sure it landed as I had hoped. But I’ve thought a lot about that brief exchange, and it prompted me to elaborate on that idea.

The exchange also brought to mind this quip from author, humorist, and cartoonist James Thurber.

I never quite know when I’m not writing. Sometimes my wife comes up to me at a party and says, “Dammit, Thurber, stop writing.” She usually catches me in the middle of a paragraph.

From Conversations with James Thurber, edited by Thomas Fensch
Continue reading “Never not writing”

Introducing ‘Litmags, etc.,’ an X list of literary journals

One of the best things to come out of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter (now X) is Lists, a tool to help denizens of that website organize, categorize and curate social media accounts by subject or interest.

Even though the platform has become less useful, less interesting, and more soul-sucking since Elon Musk bought it, you can still find nuggets of value as long as you use it wisely and stay away from the cesspool of the general feed. One way of walling yourself off from that toxicity is by creating lists of the accounts you most want to follow, or by following lists curated by trusted sources.

Continue reading “Introducing ‘Litmags, etc.,’ an X list of literary journals”