Dec 31, 2022Every book I read in 2022, with commentaryI hesitate to say that it’s been a hard year for the third year in a row; surely after three years, that’s just how your life is? It was a bit of a hard year for reading, though; I moved across the country and my whole life changed, my schedules…Books31 min readBooks31 min read
Dec 31, 2021Every book I read in 2021, with commentaryThis year has felt like at least three years — not length-wise, but mood-wise. The first part was bad (exhaustion; despair), the middle part was good (hope; reconnection), and the last part was bad again, but in a different way (loss; disappointment). These past few months have been extraordinarily difficult…Books36 min readBooks36 min read
Dec 31, 2020Every book I read in 2020, with commentaryI dread trying to sum up this year in a paragraph. It sucked, you all know it sucked! My reading was weird, because everything was weird (“weird” of course is inadequate). It was harder to focus, and I worked less efficiently, but I had fewer plans — so it sort…Books33 min readBooks33 min read
Dec 31, 2019Every book I read in 2019, with commentary“It’s literally the only list I read. I hate all other lists.” — J. Robert Lennon A few years ago I started keeping track of every book I read in a document, annotating the list with mini-reviews, and then publishing it. (At the real end of the year! No cheating!)…Books40 min readBooks40 min read
Dec 31, 2018Every book I read in 2018, with commentary“It’s literally the only list I read. I hate all other lists.” — J. Robert Lennon A few years ago I started keeping track of every book I read in a document, annotating the list with mini-reviews, and then publishing it. (At the real end of the year! No cheating!)…Writing36 min readWriting36 min read
Dec 31, 2017Every Book I Read in 2017, with CommentaryA couple of years ago I started keeping track of every book I read in a document, annotating the list with little mini-reviews. …Books28 min readBooks28 min read
Dec 31, 2016Every Book I Read in 2016, with CommentaryLast year I started keeping track of every book I read in a document, annotating the list with little mini-reviews. …Books25 min readBooks25 min read
Published inElectric Literature·Jun 3, 2016How Do You Know If Your Writing Is Any Good?The Blunt Instrument is a monthly advice column for writers. If you need tough advice for a writing problem, send your question to blunt@electricliterature.com. Dear Blunt Instrument, My questions for you are about nerve and grit. I write flash fiction, short stories, am working on a novel, and I’ve been…Essays5 min readEssays5 min read