The winner of Narrative Magazine Spring 2010 Contest is a story that I am happy to say was one of two that I thought were the best in the semi-finals. FIRST PRIZE goes to Scott Tucker’s I Would Be Happy to Leave This Asylum.

Make every word pull its weight. (Sometimes the right noun can deliver both meaning and tone; the perfect verb may eliminate the need for an adverb.). Don’t skimp on clarity. Every sentence must make sense and work together with the other sentences to make logical paragraphs.

A great “final” reading at Sac State by departing professor Peter Grandbois was a retrospective of sorts, as he generously read from the works of his colleagues who, as he put it, he ended up writing “in conversation” with.

Back when I first read Steve Almond, (upon the release of a Tin House Anthology) I was inspired to do my first set of Dogeared Pages blog posts. Well, upon reading Steve’s Rock and Roll will Save Your Life,

Last year I had the opportunity for a few uninterrupted conversations with my friend and colleague Dr. Peter Grandbois, and turned it into an interview for Word Riot.