Villagio Mall

January 12, 2008

I’m sitting in a red-walled wifi cafe (yes) in a Doha mall, called Villagio, known for its indoor canal and high-end shops. Cross up and over a bridge to get to the other side. Feel like a canal boat ride? Gondoliers are at the ready. Skating anyone? There’s also an indoor rink, surrounded by shops. […]

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Photos from Doha

January 10, 2008

This area will be full of residential compounds within 2 months. Work happens 24/7 andthe construction crews come from Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Egypt, and other countries.It’s the call to prayer from this minaret on the left that awakens me every morning at 5 AM. I like the sound of the live voice–it’s plaintive and […]

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In the desert

January 10, 2008

I’m at Qatar University and only have one minute to post.No Internet in my palatial apartment–but three bedrooms,three baths, huge kitchen, dining, and living rooms.Photos–of my apartment, views from the windowand a few other things–coming soon.

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Snowed In With The Manuscript

December 16, 2007

I was supposed to fly out this morning but the airline cancelled the flight. I’ll leave tomorrowlate afternoon–and it’s a good thing. We’ve been working eight hours a day on the manuscript but definitely can use today and tomorrow to finish up. Thank you blizzard. In my last post I said stuff comes up while […]

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Shoveling Break from Editing

December 13, 2007

The snow is falling at a rate of about 3 inches an hour up here in Boston where I’m on an editing job. On my breaks I go out to shovel. Editing and snow-shoveling have something in common, I begin to think, as I’m hurling the white powder off, exposing the grateful red bricks underneath. […]

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Zig Zag Writing

December 1, 2007

I’ve seen two movies lately, Michael Clayton and Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, that play with the narrative–move forward, then go back and move forward again, covering only a few days. Narrative interruptus is how Roger Ebert, describes Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. “The . . .screenplay. . .takes us up to a […]

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Writer Playing Dead

November 20, 2007

Writers often ask me: how can I write about my life and not hurt the people close to me? Nadine Gordimer, in today’s Writer’s Almanac (scroll down page to see her bio), has the answer: Write as if oneself and one’s readers were already dead.I love this idea and will use it. What do you […]

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Time Out

November 9, 2007

Rushing back to my car from the gym (finally worked out, after several whirlwind weeks of traveling–sittting for long hours on planes, with clients, and in workshops,) I looked up as I headed down the purple-railed stairs in the parking area and saw a cluster of birds high in a bush. I stopped and watched […]

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Rain Rain Rain

November 4, 2007

In Boston yesterday the rain poured down–3 inches of it.I checked the weather in Chapel Hill . . . sunny, sunny, sunny.Forever ahead in the forecast–sunny.As my friends and I waded through puddles and tried to keepour umbrellas from turning inside out in the blustery wind,I thought, well, rain, anywhere, must be good for the […]

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From on High

October 30, 2007
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