writing

Roth Retires but Wolfe, Wouk Among Authors Past 80

Posted on 11/21/2012 by | General News | Comments

Bulletin TodayBy Hillel Italie, National Writer, The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Philip Roth, 79 and looking fit in recent photographs, has said that after looking back on his long and prolific career he decided he had written enough. The novel “Nemesis,” published in 2010, apparently will be his last. Other authors, some of them years older, are carrying on. Elmore Leonard, winner this year of an honorary National Book Award, is 87 and says the prize inspired him to …

Carlos Fuentes on Writing: “A Force Beyond My Control”

Posted on 05/16/2012 by | AARP Blog Author | Comments

Your Life“Did my wife put you up to this?” Carlos Fuentes asked me when I insisted he wear a tie for our (AARP VIVA’s) on-camera interview and cover photo shoot. Fuentes, an elegant soul, a gentleman, and a literary master, was also stubborn as a mule. I say this partly as a compliment, for I too am stubborn as all good Basques should be; but I was equally frustrated, for he had already tried my patience the day before when he …

Kindness is Always the Right Path

Posted on 02/1/2012 by | Volunteering | Comments

Volunteering | Your LifeLet me start by telling you this is not what I had intended to write about this week, but after several twist and turns on Tuohy Turnpike 101, I did a Dukes of Hazard slide and changed directions. First, I never imagined so many of you would enjoy my blog post on the time spent in the ladies’ room last Sunday. I’m so glad some of you enjoyed the experience, even if you were living vicariously through me. Secondly, you are …

Write your life.

Posted on 07/12/2010 by | Archived Contributor | Comments

Your LifeCheck out these tips from AARP on how to write about your life story, whether it be a memoir, personal essay, or something entirely different. This simple advice can send you on your way to a beautiful piece to share with your loved ones, or a best-selling book to share with the world! Here’s one: Start with gripping. Best-selling author Elizabeth Gilbert didn’t begin Eat, Pray, Love with the prosaic sentence “I was born in Waterbury, Connecticut.” Her first chapter …

Writing Your Life

Posted on 02/23/2009 by | General News | Comments

Your LifeAbigail Thomas has a thoughtful piece up on AARP on writing a memoir, saying, “To write a memoir, cultivate the habit of listening to yourself.” Not only does she talk about her own personal journey towards and through memoir-writing, but gives us inspirational advice on how to tune into our inner writer, step by step.