Author of The Muse
Whelp, it’s happened. I had another birthday: the big three-four. I’m officially in my mid-thirties. Somehow, this scares me more than when I turned thirty proper. My birthday is my own personal New Year’s celebration. It’s a time to get … Continued
And here’s my contribution to the Jurassic Austen project: the most flirtatious creature in the dinosaur kingdom. Enjoy! Siblioraptor wantonus Common name: Lydia Bennet (sometimes also referred to as Mary Crawford, or Henry Crawford, if male) Description: In females, this … Continued
Although I live in Brooklyn, NY, I was born and raised in Miami. South Florida is a strange and unique place. Yesterday, while waiting for my flight home, I got a little nostalgic and began to catalog some of my … Continued
I spend my days teaching 6th graders how to read and write. This semester, I taught my first creative writing elective and so last week, with the end of the semester, I gave my students a survey so that I … Continued
Much of The Muse is set at Lincoln Center. It’s where Ballet Theater of New York performs in their season. It’s where Darcy confesses his love to Elizabeth, and where she reads his tell-all letter in the wake. It’s also … Continued
This post touches on writer’s craft and has some spoilers. I used to write love scenes like fluorescent lighting: I revealed everything. Like a sportscaster giving the play-by-play, I accounted for every breath, every moan, every facial expression, every … Continued
As part of an Austenesque reading challenge on Goodreads, I’ve decided this year to read as much Austenesque as I can. I’m also a middle school English teacher, so part of my professional responsibilities include keeping up on the latest … Continued
Janus is the Roman god of beginnings and transitions. He’s characterized by having two faces – one that looks forward, and one that looks behind him. It’s appropriate, then, that our month of January is named for Janus, as the new year … Continued
In this installment of Ballet Basics, we’re going to learn about the ritual of company class, a routine so fundamental to ballet that I chose to begin The Muse in Ballet Theater of New York’s company class. Company class, or “class,” as dancers … Continued
Some readers alerted me to the fact that they wanted to know about all of the ballet terms that I use in The Muse. So here’s your ballet basics tutorial. One of the most common steps that I refer to in … Continued