Beloved literary community member Steve Arndt died on February 6, 2026. Fond memories and deep appreciations abound. This piece is from a social media post by Nikki Darling of Eugene, OR. Steve Arndt coined the term “Spanbauerian” to describe all that he’d learned and loved at the hands of his friend and mentor Tom Spanbauer. …
Dear Authors: I love you. I do. I hadn’t planned on writing this and was, in fact, in the middle of writing something else when I realized I needed to get this off my chest. I had been reading a book I was enjoying and realized that I was probably judging it more kindly because …
I like to know a thing or two about the world around me, so I read widely and watch a lot of film. However, when I write, I write for myself and I don’t do fiction. That’s not because I don’t like it, but because I can’t manage it. I’ve made a sad attempt or …
So now your book is being published and you’re overwhelmed in general about things, and in specific about this event, and WHEN WILL THE HELPFUL EVENT WIZARD SHOW UP AND HELP YOU? The wizard is in, friends, and it’s time to roll for initiative. First, as a shiny new author, you should rethink how you …
Bookstores have always been an oasis. I seek them out whether in a strange town or a strange mood. The only things that can stop me walking through the door of an enticing bookstore is having to catch a plane or a rip-roaring tantrum from someone in my family—quite often me. A recollection of any …
