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The World in Story

I’m currently reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Through Bronte’s brilliant writing, I can see Jane on the page, and also the world that she lived in. This is most vivid to me in the powerful scene after Jane has left Thornfield. She spends the night under...

Where the Story Begins

Beatrix Potter said: “There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they’ll take you.” I don’t know where the idea for a story begins. It’s just there inside my head, like a vision, but...

What Drawing Taught Me About Writing

Years ago, when my daughter Shannon was ten, she was interested in art and asked if I would take a class with her. When I was her age, I would draw during long church meetings, but never thought of myself as a budding artist. We found a teacher, and once a week, went...

Concord, MA and Katherine Paterson

After our flight to Boston, as we ate a much needed meal at the hotel, I scrolled through Facebook. “Bryan! One of my favorite authors is speaking tomorrow night at the library in Concord.” We grinned at each other. Katherine Paterson, author of Jacob Have...