Monthly Archives: December 2021

Best of 2021: Book Prescriptions

Posted on December 29, 2021 by Kate Stover

As we finish this difficult year, I’m wondering how I can thank my readers for sticking with me. Blogs can’t offer hugs, a place to go scream, a few extra hours of sleep, or stiff drinks. However, I can prescribe … Continue reading →

Posted in non-fiction, poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“I have thought about this a lot, and I would like to know – I really would like to – when does a person actually choose anything?”

Posted on December 22, 2021 by Kate Stover

In an interview, Elizabeth Strout said that she once met an advisor in the Obama administration who said that he was there to help make choices. It turned out, however, that most often the best course of action was so … Continue reading →

Posted in fiction | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

“And then learn to be more compassionate company, as if you were somebody you are fond of and wish to encourage.”

Posted on December 8, 2021 by Kate Stover

When you are writing, do you think “This is great!” or do you think, “I shouldn’t have put this off. It’s a mess. I’ll never get it right.” Too often, I find it easy to be with the large number … Continue reading →

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“He was committing the beginner’s error of inserting his own agenda into the poem, instead of drawing elements out of the poem and then cautiously blowing on them until they started to flame.”

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Kate Stover

This sentence made me stop to wonder if Knausgaard was telling his readers they shouldn’t come to his novel with an agenda for what it should be like. If so, that’s a good start. I would go further, though, and … Continue reading →

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