A new adventure is underway. It's the debut of a new podcast entitled THE BLEEDING TYPEWRITER.
The title is a riff on the famous Hemingway line about writing not being so hard—you just "sit down at the typewriter and bleed."
However, THE BLEEDING TYPEWRITER podcast is not all about writing. It's about the creative process, about what it takes to pour your heart out—bleed, if you will—and be an artist, whatever that might mean to you. Part time, full time, freelancing, or maybe you've jumped right into the Bohemian lifestyle and are the real thing—a true starving artist. Maybe you're a musician, a painter, or photographer. Maybe you keep a journal and you see it as your creative output. Any of this requires a little blood, right?
That's what THE BLEEDING TYPEWRITER celebrates. Take a listen. See what you think. You can subscribe at iTunes or listen right here. And certainly, drop a comment here or email me. Love to hear from you!
Best,
David
Friday, October 30, 2015
Monday, October 19, 2015
Are You Really Going to Read That?
-->
All of us have confided in a friend about something we did
or experienced that we know was—how do I put this—not so flattering, maybe
incriminating, illegal, dumb, something we are not proud of. But what happens
when you write about that “something” and then you read it out loud at a
literary event in public?
Been there. Personal essay writers are goofy people, you
know.
Tonight, I’m planning to read a story at a live literary
event that doesn’t shine the judgmental light on ME, but on someone else.
Someone I love.
Yikes.
The story is part of a manuscript, a creative nonfiction
book. At this reading, I’m segmenting a part of the bigger project to offer up
a 10-minute story of music, love, and weed. Marijuana. Ii think it’s a good
story. But what responsibility do we have as writers to tell these stories,
especially read them, out loud receptive people when the stories are not solely
about us—the writer—but about someone else?
We have tons of responsibility. We have to ask. We have to
let the person who is the focus of the story hear our side, read our work, and
allow them to respond. Do they want this out in the open? Are they okay with
this? I’m not saying you have to change what you write. After all, the story is
yours. It is your recollection and
memory. But they have every right to tell you they don’t like it or don’t want
it read to a large crowd at a bookstore. Then, you—and only you—have to decide
what’s next.
Luckily, in my case, the person in question is quite willing
to be the focus, to take the heat, to be the center of attention in a story
that, well, doesn’t necessarily flatter her.
All of this on my mind at the Hemingway House as I write in
my borrowed attic office. Hemingway penned mostly fiction, but much of it was
autobiographical in many ways. And yes, he made plenty of enemies using real
people as characters. And in his creative nonfiction work—Death in the Afternoon, A Moveable Feast, and others—he wrote about
real people and real events, and many of them loathed him for it.
Write the truth to the best of your knowledge. But tell your story as you see it, as you
remember it factually and emotionally. Be honest, be fair, and offer it up for
scrutiny. But always go out and tell it with everything you got—confidence,
meaning, and passion. It is the only way.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
If Ernie Could See Me Now
It's been a couple of months as the Writer-in-Residence at the Hemingway Birthplace in Oak Park, Illinois outside Chicago. So far, no ghosts.
Sort of.
I love the space I have been fortunate to take on as mine for one year. Private. Quiet. I feel hermetically sealed in it. In a good way, that is. It's a bubble and a comfortable one. So, if there are ghosts—namely Ernie himself—they'd have to break the seal and slip through the walls like real ghosts. Something ghosts are apparently good at, right?
But, even though I'd love to tell you there have been spirits in the old house, there have not been. It would make such a good story, wouldn't it? Ernie showing up to say hello, maybe with a few writing tips, offer to take me deep sea fishing, or buy me a drink. But so far, Ernie hasn't shown himself to me in any sensory way. And I can't fake that. You see, I'm one of those creative nonfiction writers who tries really hard to tell truths, at least how I see it.
Still...
And here's the explanation of the "sort of" I wrote in the second paragraph above.
I have this old typewriter I found in an antique shop many years ago. I snatched it up because it is, I believe, the same make of typewriter Hemingway used at his writing space in Key West. Now, I know he was known for writing standing up, and frequently, if not always, in longhand. But he did do some typing, mainly when drafting his stories. And in Key West, the word is he used a Corona portable.
Now, there is some debate here about the exact model and whether the typewriters in his museum-homes in Key West or Cuba are ACTUALLY HIS or just replicas or copies.
But that doesn't matter.
Here's what matters.
In my home on a small side table sits the portable Corona I found years ago. And the other night, I had a dream. Now, I have a lot of dreams and to be honest most are very odd. Remind me sometime to tell you about pigs dressed as Nazis, or the knife fight with a fish, or the ability to wave my hands and create magnificent gardens, like the ones in the psychedelic Beatles cartoons from the movie Yellow Submarine. The single dream I want to focus on, however, is this...
I heard that typewriter. Someone snapping at the keys. Tap, tick, whack. The writer was manic, attacking the keys. I could hear the keys and I thought, in the dream, they were coming from that typewriter. The Corona in my house. The dream was one of those mini ones, the fleeting kind you get in the misty space between REM sleep and awakening.
Ernie?
There was no other context to the dream. No narrative that made sense. Why would this dream be like any of the others I've ever had? Still, it was very real.
Ernie, is that you?
No ghosts yet at the Hemingway House, but maybe at mine.
Sort of.
I love the space I have been fortunate to take on as mine for one year. Private. Quiet. I feel hermetically sealed in it. In a good way, that is. It's a bubble and a comfortable one. So, if there are ghosts—namely Ernie himself—they'd have to break the seal and slip through the walls like real ghosts. Something ghosts are apparently good at, right?
But, even though I'd love to tell you there have been spirits in the old house, there have not been. It would make such a good story, wouldn't it? Ernie showing up to say hello, maybe with a few writing tips, offer to take me deep sea fishing, or buy me a drink. But so far, Ernie hasn't shown himself to me in any sensory way. And I can't fake that. You see, I'm one of those creative nonfiction writers who tries really hard to tell truths, at least how I see it.
Still...
And here's the explanation of the "sort of" I wrote in the second paragraph above.
I have this old typewriter I found in an antique shop many years ago. I snatched it up because it is, I believe, the same make of typewriter Hemingway used at his writing space in Key West. Now, I know he was known for writing standing up, and frequently, if not always, in longhand. But he did do some typing, mainly when drafting his stories. And in Key West, the word is he used a Corona portable.
Now, there is some debate here about the exact model and whether the typewriters in his museum-homes in Key West or Cuba are ACTUALLY HIS or just replicas or copies.
But that doesn't matter.
Here's what matters.
In my home on a small side table sits the portable Corona I found years ago. And the other night, I had a dream. Now, I have a lot of dreams and to be honest most are very odd. Remind me sometime to tell you about pigs dressed as Nazis, or the knife fight with a fish, or the ability to wave my hands and create magnificent gardens, like the ones in the psychedelic Beatles cartoons from the movie Yellow Submarine. The single dream I want to focus on, however, is this...
I heard that typewriter. Someone snapping at the keys. Tap, tick, whack. The writer was manic, attacking the keys. I could hear the keys and I thought, in the dream, they were coming from that typewriter. The Corona in my house. The dream was one of those mini ones, the fleeting kind you get in the misty space between REM sleep and awakening.
Ernie?
There was no other context to the dream. No narrative that made sense. Why would this dream be like any of the others I've ever had? Still, it was very real.
Ernie, is that you?
No ghosts yet at the Hemingway House, but maybe at mine.
Monday, August 31, 2015
Ghosts?
It's 6:10 AM Monday morning. I'm in the attic office at the Hemingway Birthplace home, my new writing space since being named the Writer-in-Residence here. I have a cup of French roast. One light shines in the room, just enough to illuminate the corner of the space. Miles Davis' So What plays softly out of my laptop's speaker. I write.
And I wait.
I've been in the house alone many times now. Early mornings are best. It's a cool, quiet, and a unique place to be and work. But I can't help wondering about the ghosts.
No one has said anything about any spirits, evidence of any Hemingway apparitions. But I wonder.
I write some more. It's going well. The story takes me places I wasn't sure I would go. I am being pulled along by something uncertain.
I sip coffee. I lower the volume on Miles Davis. I listen to the sound of my fingers tapping letters on the keyboard.
A few years ago, I was the Writer-in-Residence at the Jack Kerouac House in Orlando. It was the home where he had lived with his mother and where he wrote The Dharma Bums. A poet who had been a previous resident once wrote of the scratching sounds she would sometimes hear in the home, the branches of the massive old oak tree just outside the front door moving in the wind and scraping along the home's tin roof. The sounds of Jack's pencil writing words from heaven.
There is no tin roof here at the Hemingway home. No big old oak touching the roof. But there is something in this space, something I can't put my finger on just yet. A force, a simple presence. A ghost? Not sure about that. It seems silly to consider. But, well, maybe.
I take another sip of French roast. I write some more. Davis has now shifted to Coltrane on my Spotify playlist.
I do not feel alone.
I write some more. And I will write again.
And I wait.
I've been in the house alone many times now. Early mornings are best. It's a cool, quiet, and a unique place to be and work. But I can't help wondering about the ghosts.
No one has said anything about any spirits, evidence of any Hemingway apparitions. But I wonder.
I write some more. It's going well. The story takes me places I wasn't sure I would go. I am being pulled along by something uncertain.
I sip coffee. I lower the volume on Miles Davis. I listen to the sound of my fingers tapping letters on the keyboard.
A few years ago, I was the Writer-in-Residence at the Jack Kerouac House in Orlando. It was the home where he had lived with his mother and where he wrote The Dharma Bums. A poet who had been a previous resident once wrote of the scratching sounds she would sometimes hear in the home, the branches of the massive old oak tree just outside the front door moving in the wind and scraping along the home's tin roof. The sounds of Jack's pencil writing words from heaven.
There is no tin roof here at the Hemingway home. No big old oak touching the roof. But there is something in this space, something I can't put my finger on just yet. A force, a simple presence. A ghost? Not sure about that. It seems silly to consider. But, well, maybe.
I take another sip of French roast. I write some more. Davis has now shifted to Coltrane on my Spotify playlist.
I do not feel alone.
I write some more. And I will write again.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
At Hemingway's
It's been about a month now of writing off and on at the Ernest Hemingway birthplace house as the new Writer-in-Residence. And although I keep expecting to discover a ghost, a spirit, that hasn't happened yet. But, I must say, it's a wonderful spot...and maybe, in some ways, otherworldly.
Morning is best for me. Quiet and cool in the house. No visitors. Although it's also appealing to be writing in the upstairs attic office when visitors are touring the home. Nice to know history is being relived, retold just below me.
And yes, I am getting some writing done. Completed the rewrite on a new creative nonfiction/memoir and will soon be working on rewrites for new novel, Night Radio. But also picked up on another manuscript that had been abandoned and it's now finding its way. I think partly at least because of the Hemingway house experience. The story is about a writer, struggling with fame, but knowing deep down he may not be worthy of the attention, the notoriety. I think Hemingway struggled through a similar period. Some scholars believe his machismo and ego needed to be big and bold for him to overcome his self doubt. Ah, the writer's scourge!
The experience at the Hemingway house also makes me think a great deal about a writer's space. Why it works or doesn't? I thought this new office at the birthplace might be a bit tacky, hokey. It was said to be decorated in a Hemingway safari theme. Oh my, that could have been one big cliche. But no! Thanks to the Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park and the board's attention to detail, the writing space is remarkable. Those behind it clearly studied the Hemingway writing spaces in Key West and Cuba and without copying, captured the feel of both. It's -- you might say -- "a clean, well-lighted place."
One more thing...if you come to visit the Hemingway birthplace...be sure to eat here! (See bleow) Just down the street. It's like breakfast in France!
P.S. I'll keep you posted on the ghosts.
Morning is best for me. Quiet and cool in the house. No visitors. Although it's also appealing to be writing in the upstairs attic office when visitors are touring the home. Nice to know history is being relived, retold just below me.
And yes, I am getting some writing done. Completed the rewrite on a new creative nonfiction/memoir and will soon be working on rewrites for new novel, Night Radio. But also picked up on another manuscript that had been abandoned and it's now finding its way. I think partly at least because of the Hemingway house experience. The story is about a writer, struggling with fame, but knowing deep down he may not be worthy of the attention, the notoriety. I think Hemingway struggled through a similar period. Some scholars believe his machismo and ego needed to be big and bold for him to overcome his self doubt. Ah, the writer's scourge!
The experience at the Hemingway house also makes me think a great deal about a writer's space. Why it works or doesn't? I thought this new office at the birthplace might be a bit tacky, hokey. It was said to be decorated in a Hemingway safari theme. Oh my, that could have been one big cliche. But no! Thanks to the Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park and the board's attention to detail, the writing space is remarkable. Those behind it clearly studied the Hemingway writing spaces in Key West and Cuba and without copying, captured the feel of both. It's -- you might say -- "a clean, well-lighted place."
One more thing...if you come to visit the Hemingway birthplace...be sure to eat here! (See bleow) Just down the street. It's like breakfast in France!
P.S. I'll keep you posted on the ghosts.
  | ||||||||||
| The Hemingway Birthplace Writer-in-Residence Office |
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Pilgrim Soul
I have always loved William Butler Yeats' poem. "When You Are Old" is a beautiful, melancholy verse to a long time relationship and to the journey that relationship sparked. But what I love most is not that the subject of love in this poem, but rather its nod to the concept of pilgrimage.
A pilgrimage is mostly defined as a spiritual journey. But not necessary a religious one. Pilgrimage can come in may ways. Still what it means to me is the search for an essential, authentic truth about our lives, our reason for being here, our desires and wants and the long road trip we take to discover all of this.
Recently I have been so very fortunate. I was named the Ernest Hemingway Writer-in-Residence at this birth home in Oak Park, Illinois. I signed a new deal for my very first novel. And I have been blessed with a new release—There's a Hamster in the Dashboard—which has been getting a wonderful response. But as I journey through this fortunate stretch, I know there will be times—both professional and personal—that won't be so fortunate. Still, I possess a pilgrim soul and through all of it—the good, the bad, and the ugly—I will stay on my road. I will keep believing that what is ultimately important is to keep moving on, keep truckin', keep writing, living, loving, and caring. I offer this belief to you in all that awaits you.
The pilgrim soul—the one who forever searches. Not because they are lost, but because they want to be found.
A pilgrimage is mostly defined as a spiritual journey. But not necessary a religious one. Pilgrimage can come in may ways. Still what it means to me is the search for an essential, authentic truth about our lives, our reason for being here, our desires and wants and the long road trip we take to discover all of this.
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;
Recently I have been so very fortunate. I was named the Ernest Hemingway Writer-in-Residence at this birth home in Oak Park, Illinois. I signed a new deal for my very first novel. And I have been blessed with a new release—There's a Hamster in the Dashboard—which has been getting a wonderful response. But as I journey through this fortunate stretch, I know there will be times—both professional and personal—that won't be so fortunate. Still, I possess a pilgrim soul and through all of it—the good, the bad, and the ugly—I will stay on my road. I will keep believing that what is ultimately important is to keep moving on, keep truckin', keep writing, living, loving, and caring. I offer this belief to you in all that awaits you.
The pilgrim soul—the one who forever searches. Not because they are lost, but because they want to be found.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
The Utimate Book Tour/Road Trip.
Started a new Blog Tour this week. It's so fun to do this—talking to so many writers and readers through the Internet and virtual travel. Below you'll find the tour schedule. I certainly realize you are not going to hang on every virtual mile...but there may be some good stops along the way for you.
But the other night I met thriller writer Jenny Milchman at a bookseller event at The Book Cellar in Chicago.
Jenny is on a book tour to rival all book tours. She has packed up the car with her husband and kids and stacks of books and has headed out to all the great independent bookstores all over the country! It will take MONTHS! Talk about a commitment to her work, to the indie book seller, to her craft, to the art of writing, and...and to the great American road trip. The road trip is an iconic part of the American landscape in so many ways...film, art, literature, music. It is a thread through so much of our existence and Jenny has embraced it, taking to the highway like Kerouac or Whitman or Tocqueville or Charles Kuralt.
Fuel up, Jenny...and go, go, go!
In the spirit of Jenny Milchman...here's the virtual blog tour for THERE'S A HAMSTER IN THE DASHBOARD.
But the other night I met thriller writer Jenny Milchman at a bookseller event at The Book Cellar in Chicago.
Jenny is on a book tour to rival all book tours. She has packed up the car with her husband and kids and stacks of books and has headed out to all the great independent bookstores all over the country! It will take MONTHS! Talk about a commitment to her work, to the indie book seller, to her craft, to the art of writing, and...and to the great American road trip. The road trip is an iconic part of the American landscape in so many ways...film, art, literature, music. It is a thread through so much of our existence and Jenny has embraced it, taking to the highway like Kerouac or Whitman or Tocqueville or Charles Kuralt.
Fuel up, Jenny...and go, go, go!
In the spirit of Jenny Milchman...here's the virtual blog tour for THERE'S A HAMSTER IN THE DASHBOARD.
Monday, July 13 @ The Muffin
Stop by for an interview and book giveaway!
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/
Wednesday, July 15 @ Choices with Madeline Sharples
"The Best Way to Submit Your Creative Nonfiction to small publications and literary journals" is today's hot topic at Choices. There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://madelinesharples.com/
Thursday, July 16 @ Mari McCarthy’s Create Write Now
Today you're in for a special treat with a giveaway and guest post at Create Write Now. Win a copy of David W Berner's latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets and read his guest post titled "So, Your Life is Not That Interesting. http://www.createwritenow.com/
Friday, July 17 @ Building Bookshelves
Jodi Webb reviews David W Berner's latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets at Building Bookshelves today! Don't miss this great blog stop!
http://blogs.republicanherald.com/bookshelves/
Monday, July 20 @ Hott Books
Today is a special treat with a review and giveaway at Hott Books! Head on over to find out more about (and possibly win a copy of) David W. Berner's latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://www.hottbooks.com/
Tuesday, July 21 @ All Things Audry
David W Berner writes today's guest post at All Things Audry. Today's topic is" Mini-Memoirs: How to tell your story in fewer than 1000 words". Don't miss this fabulous blog stop and opportunity to learn more about Berner's latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://allthingsaudry.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, July 21 @ I’d So Rather be Reading
"Tell True Stories, Not Sentimentalized Ones" is the hot topic today as David W Berner guest authors at I'd So Rather be Reading. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about Berner and his latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://www.idsoratherbereading.com/
Thursday, July 23 @ Cathy Hall
David W Berner is today's guest author at Cathy C Hall's blog and the topic is " Staying Disciplined.,.. Write, Write, Write!". Read this great post and find out more about Berner's latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://c-c-hall.com/
Friday, July 24 @ Words by Webb
Jodi Webb interviews David W. Berner about his latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://jodiwebb.com/
Monday, July 27 @ Bring On Lemons
Educator and avid reader, Cathy Hansen reviews There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets by David W Berner. Don't miss this insightful review as well as a giveaway for your chance to read this great book for yourself!
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/
Monday, August 3 @ Sioux’s Page
Sioux reviews David W Berner's latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://siouxspage.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, August 3 @ Lisa Haselton
Join David W Berner as he writes today's guest blog post at the blog of Lisa Haselton. Today's topic is: "How the Story of Your Pet Can Tell Your Story." Learn more about this and Berner's latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/
Thursday, August 6 @ Selling Books
"Is Your Writing Space the Right Space" is today's topic as David W Berner writes the guest post at Cathy Stucker's Selling Books blog. Don't miss this great post and wonderful opportunity to learn more about Berner's latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://www.sellingbooks.com/
Thursday, August 13 @ MC Simon Writes
MC Simon reviews the latest book by David W Berner There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets and offers readers a giveaway of this fabulous collection of essays.
http://www.mcsimonwrites.com/
Stop by for an interview and book giveaway!
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/
Wednesday, July 15 @ Choices with Madeline Sharples
"The Best Way to Submit Your Creative Nonfiction to small publications and literary journals" is today's hot topic at Choices. There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://madelinesharples.com/
Thursday, July 16 @ Mari McCarthy’s Create Write Now
Today you're in for a special treat with a giveaway and guest post at Create Write Now. Win a copy of David W Berner's latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets and read his guest post titled "So, Your Life is Not That Interesting. http://www.createwritenow.com/
Friday, July 17 @ Building Bookshelves
Jodi Webb reviews David W Berner's latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets at Building Bookshelves today! Don't miss this great blog stop!
http://blogs.republicanherald.com/bookshelves/
Monday, July 20 @ Hott Books
Today is a special treat with a review and giveaway at Hott Books! Head on over to find out more about (and possibly win a copy of) David W. Berner's latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://www.hottbooks.com/
Tuesday, July 21 @ All Things Audry
David W Berner writes today's guest post at All Things Audry. Today's topic is" Mini-Memoirs: How to tell your story in fewer than 1000 words". Don't miss this fabulous blog stop and opportunity to learn more about Berner's latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://allthingsaudry.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, July 21 @ I’d So Rather be Reading
"Tell True Stories, Not Sentimentalized Ones" is the hot topic today as David W Berner guest authors at I'd So Rather be Reading. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about Berner and his latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://www.idsoratherbereading.com/
Thursday, July 23 @ Cathy Hall
David W Berner is today's guest author at Cathy C Hall's blog and the topic is " Staying Disciplined.,.. Write, Write, Write!". Read this great post and find out more about Berner's latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://c-c-hall.com/
Friday, July 24 @ Words by Webb
Jodi Webb interviews David W. Berner about his latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://jodiwebb.com/
Monday, July 27 @ Bring On Lemons
Educator and avid reader, Cathy Hansen reviews There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets by David W Berner. Don't miss this insightful review as well as a giveaway for your chance to read this great book for yourself!
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/
Monday, August 3 @ Sioux’s Page
Sioux reviews David W Berner's latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://siouxspage.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, August 3 @ Lisa Haselton
Join David W Berner as he writes today's guest blog post at the blog of Lisa Haselton. Today's topic is: "How the Story of Your Pet Can Tell Your Story." Learn more about this and Berner's latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/
Thursday, August 6 @ Selling Books
"Is Your Writing Space the Right Space" is today's topic as David W Berner writes the guest post at Cathy Stucker's Selling Books blog. Don't miss this great post and wonderful opportunity to learn more about Berner's latest book There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets.
http://www.sellingbooks.com/
Thursday, August 13 @ MC Simon Writes
MC Simon reviews the latest book by David W Berner There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets and offers readers a giveaway of this fabulous collection of essays.
http://www.mcsimonwrites.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)