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My writing pal, Maggie, is a saint. She has spent the last three weekends plowing through Greenwood Girls with red pen in hand. We've been meeting each week to discuss her feelings on how the book is progressing. I've been incorporating her suggestions and I have to say, the book feels ready. Once I get through this round of revisions, that is.
I'm happy with the plot.
I feel satisfied that I have done my best writing.
But is there room to improve?
Absolutely.
It's this knowledge that a manuscript can always be better that makes it so hard to submit.
But I need to bite the bullet, finish this round and then let it go.

Big sigh.

Next Step...Book II???
I've heard many editors say, "Never mention that you have a sequel." Why do they say this exactly? Is it a bad thing to want to write a series? That's exactly what I want to do. I love my characters in Greenwood Girls believe me, they have stories to tell! In fact, I dream about them all the time.I've begun a Greenwood Girls Book II, but used some of the plot lines in Book I, so I'll have to scrap my ideas and come up with new ones. The very idea of beginning another book is so tantalizing, I get giddy.

Don't you just love opening up a book and discovering a map on the inside cover? This is especially exciting in the case of novels, when the prospect of finding anything visual is on the low side. Most fantasy novels have some sort of orientation map, an invaluable aide for the reader to navigate the often complex journeys the protagonist travels. But it's the other books, the contemporary novels, that offer a promise of slipping into a world that is familiar yet new at the same time.

More specifically, maps appear more in middle grade than Young Adult novels. A few of my favorites are:

The Callahan Cousins by Elizabeth Doyle Carey. The map of Eastport Harbor on Gull Island is charming and sets up this quintessential girls summer adventure story. I mean, who wouldn't want to spend their summer on Gull island with three of your best pals?

Bloomibility by Sharon Creech has a map. More like a whimsical piece of art. It sets the tone and setting but sadly, is the only illustrated piece in the book. Don't you wish there were more illustrations in middle grade?

Another one that I love is printed on the inside cover of The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls by Elise Primavera. The map is hard to read, even with a magnifying lens, but the impact is perfect.

A few books make it necessary to provide a map, some type of guidance system for the reader. The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau has two: One on the back jacket flap and another on the first two pages. Both are beautifully illustrated and both are helpful for following the story.

Perhaps the most classic map of all is The Sea of Knowledge Map in The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster. Who wouldn't want to travel to the Foothills of Confusion or The Mountains of Ignorance?

One of my favorite books, Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale, has a map, but it's a bit of a disappointment. It doesn't match the richness of the story or the text. Oh well, at least it makes some sense of the Eight Realms.

Of course, this post is not random. I've been visualizing my own story's map for quite some time now. The aerial view of Greenwood Academy; the equestrian center, the gymnastic and skating complex, the woods where the tragic accident occurred, the maze, etc. I thought I had it locked in my brain, but confusion from my fellow critique partners prompted a closer look.
How do the buildings piece together? How far apart are the complexes? What's the topography like? How are the dorm rooms separated?
I finally took some time the other day to draw something. I've attempted this before, but when logistics crashed with actual descriptions, I threw away the pencil and went back to the keyboard. No will notice, I said. But they did.

I'm so full. The mere thought of another granule of sugar touching my tongue leaves me queasy. This is a good thing. More sugar means more pounds and more pounds means more working out and of course, more working out means I have less time to write. So you can see the vicious cycle.

It's been a great Christmas, with lots of time being spent with my little darlings, martini's with friends, snuggles with my hubby and the overall satisfaction that I live a good life. But having said that, I can't wait to get back to writing....

I've finished my rewrite. (YIPEE!!!). I've re-organized chapters and even in this late in the game, deleted scenes. I discovered some important elements that had been left out. Finding the right place to slip them in has been a bit challenging. I've added sensory details where there weren't any before; I've added action in place of tags: I've introduced new settings instead of using the same ones over and over. Now, I need to finish my read-through on my computer and then...(drumrolls, please)...it's the BIG PRINTOUT.

The last time I finished a revision and printed out my manuscript, I fell into a state of depression. I felt the story could have been better. I even rejected an offer from an agent (who said he loved the first fifty) to read the whole manuscript. Might have been a bad move, but I couldn't possibly hand him over the rest of the story when I knew in my heart it wasn't strong enough.

It still might not be, but at least I love it.

The story now involves Dree's mom. Where once she was dead, she now lives on as a disgraced, former national champion gymnast. Her reluctance of having her daughter train as an elite gymnast, at the same school where she herself trained, evolves from an an initial maternal fear for her daughter (life ain't pretty as an elite gymnast and she knows it best) to one of self-preservation. Who knew that the secret she held onto all these years would be discovered by her own daughter?

I feel this is my last run-through. The final edit before the crunch. I feel a deep anxiousness (is that a word?) to get this story out. The old adage "You can't win if you don't play" haunt me everyday. I know Greenwood Girls will never be published if I keep revising, but then again, it will never be published if I don't revise. It's a horrible cycle, but the fact that this story is deeply personal, motivates me to push on with what feels right.

So having said that, it's back to my story....
Wishing you all much luck and the ability to persevere with your first draft, rewrite or edits.

It's the number one reason why editors tell us why your manuscript doesn't cut it. It's the first rule we learn when writing fiction, yet in my opinion, it's one of the hardest.
I'm not going to pretend that I'm an authority because truthfully, it's something I struggle with daily. Some of my critique partners are quite skillful in picking out sentences and paragraphs that tell not show. Once the area is pointed out, it should be easy to fix it right? Not necessarily.
I think you need to be in the rhythm. The flow.
Reading works of fiction that "show" well is what really cements it for me.
I've been reading What I Saw and How I lied by Judy Blundell and I have to say that, so far, this lady is a master at showing not telling.

Check this out:
"A breeze ruffled her blonde hair. She stared out into the air and flicked an ash off her cigarette."
and
"She reached over to his pack of cigarettes on the table and extracted one slowly. She tapped it on the table while she gave him a long look. She placed it between her lips and he leaned over to light it, cupping the flame against a nonexistent breeze."

There are many, many books that show really well. Okay, most published books, but this one stood out to me. I'm only on page 60 but so far, every page is chock full of visual details.

Showing not telling has been a particular problem for me. I've been reworking/rewriting my manuscript for a while now, and some parts of it were written a while ago when my show vs tell skills weren't as polished. More often than I care for, the telling areas will sneak back into my manuscript. Kind of like a bad habit in golf. It feels natural, so it's easy to ignore.

Tami Lewis Brown over at Through the Tollbooth wrote about her "secret" which is showing, not telling. It's a great post that might help you see your trouble spots.

Obviously, the rule doesn't apply to all books. Some books excel in telling not showing. On our SCBWI community list-serve in Southern California, the book talk for this month was The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Some readers posted that they were disappointed that Alexie used so much telling when writing his story, feeling that he could have deepen the connection between reader and character more had he "showed" more. Can't disagree yet the story is fantastic.
Still, I'm no Sherman Alexie, so I'm going to stick with the rules.

On a personal note, Thanksgiving in Yosemite Valley was breathtaking as usual. We hiked until my knees gave out, biked until I literally fell over from exhaustion and ate until I gained 3 pounds. The calorie consumption must have been enormous considering all that exercise.
I blame the trail mix.

Laura, this one's for you! Without your last comment, I'd have continued with my self-imposed blog blackout for a little while longer. But what the heck..the end of my rewrite is nowhere in sight so my blogisphere exile really didn't do much good.
Well, not exactly true.

Greenwood Girls has developed into a different story. I worked hard rewriting the front end and with the help of my critique group, been ironing out the inconsistencies and questions about the elite gymnastic world. Have to say, it's great to have fresh eyes!

Now I'm working on the back end, building to the climax and working on a dramatic ending. My writing class friend, Marisa, pointed out a cinematic ending to me that was brilliant. Her interpretation of the summary of my plot points sparked a clear picture of how the book should end. It's perplexing to me how she did this. How can someone, who hasn't spent a thousand hours mulling over your book, be able to see so clearly the ending? I think this is the gift editors posses.

For the record, this was the single biggest highlight of my Fall, besides of course, drinking a $300 bottle of Dom Perignon on my wedding anniversary...but that's another story.

So for the last few days, in between parenting and work, I've been trying to capture Marisa's clear vision and blend it with my own. I think this has given me the legs needed to push on with the rewrite and perhaps, carve out some time for a little joy....

I have one more week of my "official" summer break left. It's been long. Three whole months of no work. Soon, my structure-less days will end. I've been writing like crazy. Rewriting my first novel, making sure the plot lines are threaded throughout the story, and the biggie, ensuring my character's motivation is consistent. That, I have to say, is really freakin' HARD!!! Arggh!

Just when I think I have it right, I'll re-read a chapter and groan. With rewrites, the biggest hazard, as least for me, is eliminating an important piece of information (not intentionally) the reader needs to know. You know, a logistical question that pops up in critique groups, a problem that needs to be mentioned but not elaborated on, then poof. You rewrite and take it out, thinking it's not important because you're going in a new direction. I'm probably not making sense. But that's where I am. Ironing out the consistency's. And it's really difficult.

This is what occurred to me. Writing a novel is painstaking. It really is. Do I sound negative? Good. It's reality smacking me in the face.

But, and there is always a but, I love my story. I believe it has potential. I know I'll rewrite until I'm happy with it.

But...

"Don't sit on it too long," people have said.

I seriously don't understand this contradiction. I think the best thing you can do is sit on it (or rewrite it) until it feels right. Maybe it means, don't expect it to be perfect. Believe me, I don't. I just want it to be enjoyable.

To lighten my mood, I visited my favorite bookstore, Chaucer's, and picked up a few tantalizing novels.
Savvy by Ingrid Law, the paperback version of An Abundance of Katherines by John Greene, and The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart.

I plan to write a few more hours today, maybe switch gears and focus on my second novel. My critique group has a fun writing exercise that we're doing next week...looking at plot lines and chapter details to ensure our story is flowing the way it should. Perfect timing, I think.

It has been a big week in the life of my first novel. A couple of months ago, I deemed my book ready (and worthy, I might add) of publication or at least consideration. I compiled a small list of houses, researched the editors, read their books, and committed their submission policy to memory. I made a goal of when I would submit (and posted it on my blog) and felt quite strongly about my research.
(So, you're probably waiting for me to spout the good news. Sorry. No big ones to report just a small one. Read on...)

After making these bold preparations, I hesitated. I had just finished reading a slew of really good books and one night, just before bed, I asked myself if I wrote the story I wanted. Did I do all that I could do to make the story zing? Was it worthy of sitting on the same shelf as the books I just read? I went to bed that night unsure.
The next day, I printed out the entire manuscript and read the whole thing in two sittings. I hadn't read this manuscript in it's entirety for at least a year. Sure, I revised certain chapters brilliantly, but somehow I assumed the whole thing morphed into one big final revision without even checking.
I was disappointed.

There were some definite plot errors, character inconsistencies and a few extraneousness scenes. No big deal. I could fix that. But, the really big issue...the feeling I came away with was that I didn't go deep enough with the story. I left it simmering on the stove when it really needed to be popped in the oven. My character didn't take my breath away like she used to.
To say I felt oddly depressed was an understatement. I knew what I had to do: rework the entire manuscript. Yes, REWRITE the whole bloody thing. New Character GMC. New internal and external goals...the whole shebang.
Those who have traveled this road with me and who have read a certain number of my revisions will surely think I'm crazy. I'm almost positive that I am.
So why am I telling you all this?
Because there's always a little hope that you might have something...

Yesterday ( here's the itty, bitty good news) I went to the mailbox and found a SASE. It was from an editor at Philomel. I submitted the book in question after the LA Writer's Day.
As I held the envelope in my hand, I knew it was a rejection. At this point, I recall thinking that all the joys that come from writing are just not worth this horrible feeling one experiences moments before opening up such a letter.
But I was wrong.
The letter made me cry.
The editor was personal, kind, encouraging, offered helpful feedback and ...get this!...invited me to resubmit. I've never been invited to resubmit so this was HUGE for me.
Happy moment. Sigh.

Okay, so why reboot the entire novel?
See this is the thing that was so wonderful about this timely letter. What the editor said about my novel is essentially what I discovered on my final read through. I agreed with her. But more importantly, she didn't have to tell me. I discovered it on my own. To me, this is what I'm after. A little self-knowledge.

This is an unbearably long post. I know.
Sometimes it feels so easy for writers to whip out fantastic manuscripts, get published and do marvelous things. For the rest of us? I believe we'll get there, especially if we have a story that lives in our hearts and needs to be told.

It was a year ago that I packed up my warmest coat/sweater and headed east...to New York City and to my first SCBWI Winter Conference. (Here is my blog post from that conference. )I remember being a bundle of nerves. Not sure if spending a $1000 for the development of my writing career was worth it. The writing intensive on Friday was the reason why I went. It was the first time it was held. 150 writers of picture books, middle grade and young adult fiction met in groups of 8 to read 500 words of their manuscript. Each group was facilitated by either an agent or an editor. It wasn't clearly defined what 500 words to bring...either a synopsis, 1st two pages, or somewhere in the middle. After beginning the sessions, it was clear that only the first 500 words of your story mattered. Selecting something from the middle raised too many questions and then, poof, your fifteen minutes were gone, spent explaining what the hell your story was about.
For my first session, I read my first 2 pages. The writers in my group were kind (and talented) and offered the same high caliber critiques I was used to getting from my writing group. Many liked the premise. Some pointed out strangely worded sentences. The editor didn't have too much to say (she was very sweet and I think somewhat nervous of hurting our feelings). But she did say something that stuck with me. She said in a high-concept novel like mine, I had to be careful that my main character didn't get lost.
I thought about this comment for a long time. I agreed with her right away. I knew it was my weakness. Developing my novel about a small town gymnast navigating her way through a boarding school for aspiring Olympians took many years. Plot, pacing, secondary characters, internal and external motivation, etc, took time. Left: This picture is hysterical! I found it on the SCBWI website...it was taken during my first session. To say I had a slight case of anxiety is an understatement.

But since the conference a year ago, I have focused my energies on learning how to get more of my character into the novel. It hasn't been easy for me. I've struggled a bit with my third person POV choice, but felt very strongly that the novel had to be written this way. It has since developed into close third, which is something I'm still refining. Most of all, I've been looking for ways to layer in brush strokes and character nuances. It's not easy especially since I just finished Book of a Thousand Days and absolutely loved the main character. What a role model! What a girl! I cheered for her from day one. It is very hard to do what Shannon Hale has done...not that I think I should be at her level. I'm so not. But I can try.
I think back to my session with Jennifer Hunt, when she spoke about Twilight, Story of a Girl and Diary of a Part-Time Indian. She certainly has the ability to pick successful books! She invited us to submit, which I never did. I still can. The invitation expires this month. But I'm not sure of my book is a match for her list.
I would love to go back to the New York conference. Maybe next year. The Los Angeles Summer Convention occurs during a time when I'm lounging on my cottage deck in PEI. There is no way, I'm hopping on a plane back to LA then. Not when there's lobsters to eat and golf to be played.
So Greenwood Girls continues to be revised, even as agents consider it. (Yes! I've done it...started the submission process!).
So maybe next year. New York City. Anyone in?

Been heavy on the writing and reading lately. Went to the book store to find one of the books I was planning to read (Opposite of Invisible) but had to order it. Instead, picked up Speak by well, everyone knows who. Read it in a couple of sittings. Good lord. How did she do that? What a fantastic book.
I went back over it many times, re-reading my favorite parts. I particularly loved the art teacher's role. As an artist, I understand the healing powers of working through a piece of art. Starting it, reworking it, changing colors, switching mediums, tearing it up and starting again. Maybe that's why revisions aren't that scary for me. Nothing can be created in just one sitting.
I loved the annoying friendship with Heather...we all have met these girls. It got me thinking about how my own characters are defined in Greenwood Girls. I think they're all unique, different, talented, etc. but how different are they really. Are they stereotypes? I'm not sure I've done all I can to really develop these characters, especially since they are athletes-and good ones at that.
So, I'm back to revising Greenwood Girls. Changing up dialog, creating tension, deepening the emotional responses. Will it ever be done?

The US Figure Skating Championships are on this weekend. I'm looking forward to catching some new skating stars. Haven't seen any new faces in a while, so I'm anxious to see what this year holds.

Alissa Czisny is one of my current favorites. Maybe it's because she looks so much like my character, William Spenser. Except Alyssa looks very sweet. William is a little edgier.
I'm sure we'll see her in this weeks Nationals.

Marisa was right. Big Sur was wonderful. As a last year attendee, Marisa encouraged me to take the plunge; spend the money, take off work and indulge in 3 days of writing pleasure.
Writing aside, it felt good leaving home to indulge in a little creative thought. Lately, Greenwood Girls has taken a backseat to pumpkin pies, golf tournaments and red wine, so thinking about sentence structure, POV, and realistic dialog was a welcomed change.
The weekend got off to great start with a critique session geared towards our first 5-6 pages of our manuscript. I was totally impressed with the quality of writing from my other group members. Maybe even intimidated. But I pushed on and read my pages. They were received well with lots of comments for improvements. It's quite a thrill when someone hears your story cold and can sum up what's wrong/missing/needs tweaking in just a few minutes. I listened and hoped I could remember the suggestions. Our group leader, Laura Rennert, gave us homework with the expectation to revise come Sunday.
(Photo left: Maggie franticaly helps me proofread...Lynn, Eve, Jenny and me on Sunday)
The next day was intense.
First a morning session with Author Ellen Hopkins. Again, fabo writers in my group. Wanted to read their whole manuscripts, not just a few pages. Felt quite cheated! I focused on a special section of my manuscript this time. One that included gymnastic terms and action. My goal was to see how well the reader followed the lingo. I also asked for help. I have been having problems lately with telling not showing. I know...gasp!!!
After writing for three years, I too, can't believe this pesky problem still has a way of appearing in my manuscript. But boy, I was in the right group. The Queens of Showing, Jenny and Carolyn each gave great examples to help me on my way.
Shortly after, I had a private 20 minute session with author Debra Garfinkle. We discussed the first twenty pages of my novel (she pre-read). Her insight was quite valuable. We discussed the characters age and let it be said now, that Dree is fourteen not twelve.
Later, I met with Julie Strauss-Gabel, the amazing editor from Dutton. She gave me lots to think about including the question as to why were there only three sports at Greenwood Academy. My answer because the outfits were really pretty didn't cut it, so we (the group) talked about the possibility of adding more. Juliet, ex-boarding school gal from England, had plenty of suggestions. My head was swimming with the creative possibilities. Field hockey players mingling with tiny gymnasts?? Hmmm.
That ended our Saturday critique session and not a moment too soon. My head was spinning.
Maggie and I decided to go on a walk through the beautiful redwood groves. It helped clear our minds and focus on the task at hand: rewriting for tomorrow's revision session.
On Sunday, the group that met on Friday met again to critique our revision of our first 5 pages. We all did a great job and after taking a group shot, vowed to keep in touch.
(Bottom photo: me, Julie, Juliet, Nikki and Barbara)

We're all sitting here on my microfibre suede couch feeling quite done with pumpkin pie. I'm teaching my parents all about how to blog so we decided to create our own blog post.
My mother's first entry into the blogosphere:
I'm realizing how brilliant my daughter Patricia is (author note "yeah mom!"). She was ALWAYS very creative and brilliant. We're very happy to be in wonderful Santa Barbara enjoying the sun and the shopping and our wonderful grandchildren. Oh and I forgot to mention how gorgeous my son-in-law is...not gorgeous, how handsome. Excuse me.
Dad: "No, I'm sorry. I'm not going to contribute to this."
Newt: "I'm very happy and probably fifteen pounds heavier...two boxes of cat cookies, three hot pockets, three turkeys. I hope I don't have to do the mile run on Monday."
Tate: "Hi. My mom is wonderful. She takes me golfing."
Elliott: "I think my mom is very creative."
Neil: "If any of you have seen my power scrwe driver, please give me a call."

Just letting you all know that I've re-done my first chapter of Greenwood Girls...again. It feels like a confesion of sorts. For those in my writing group, this must sound insane. I mean, how many have I done so far? At last count, perhaps 6. Maybe 7.

I tend to get gushy this time of year. Become a bit over-thankful for the life I have. But I have a great life. I really do. Healthy family, comfortable lifestyle, loving husband. These all play key roles in my life. Some are because of good plain luck (great genes), and some because of good sense (married the best guy ever). But having said that, it's the passions in life that I'm most thankful for.
I love being a creative person...to be able to look at something and feel joy just because I can see it. To tackle most anything because I know there is a creative solution lurking behind every daunting task. To never be bored because there is always some creative project waiting to be mastered. (Note turkey cake picture: My next creative endeavor!)
Not a whole lot scares me...except driving our big monster RV at night up windy Sierra mountain roads. Never done it mind you because it's just too scary. And besides, Neil handles the big rig just fine and looks pretty cute doing so.
I've always been creative. As a kid, I drew. Constantly. Spent hours at my desk with my typewriter tablet drawing scenes from the books I most recently read. I loved it. During geography class at Stonepark Junior High, I dreamed up William, best known as my protagonist's best friend in Greenwood Girls. I loved the idea of a girl having a boy's name. It wasn't my idea. My then next door neighbor named her second daughter, Laura William Burke. William must have been a family surname, but I thought it was meant to be a regular middle name like my Joan, or my sister's Jane. I was intoxicated with the possibilities. I revised many names in my Greenwood Academy Books to reflect this new trend.
Lately, I've been passionate about writing. There is nothing that gives me more joy than seeing my progress in the seemingly never-ending journey of writing a novel. It's hard and quite possibly the hardest creative task I'll ever do. There are times when I feel like a fool.
To stop all this book writing nonsense and get back to doing what I'm good at. But then I think what I'm good at is seeing what I can be good at. Basically, I love trying.
I'm thankful that I tried and that I finished the novel (and a thousand pages of revisions).
I'm thankful that agents and editors take the time to blog, visit conferences and generally impart as much knowledge as they can to help fledging novelists like me break in.
I'm thankful that there are organizations like SCBWI that take you under their wing and offer guidance through conferences, retreats and critiques.
I'm thankful that children's book writers are quite possibly the most giving group on earth. Well, that may be a bit grandiose, but I'm on a roll.
I'm thankful that my husband quietly supports my freaky writing goals especially when he feels that I'm inept at articulating things like where I put his power screwdriver or the insurance papers.
I say all this because I'm at an stage in my writing career where I feel doubt creeping in. The little voice that says "work harder or give up." Since I can't give up, I need to work harder and in order to work harder, I have to rely on all those people whom I'm thankful for.
And while I think about all this thankful stuff, I think I'll go make a turkey cake.

It was a strange phrase for me. It popped up at a recent critique with my writing group. Basically, it is the emotional space the author puts between character and reader.
Sounds simple, right? It's what most writers call getting inside the character's head--and staying there.
I thought I was handling this concept fairly well but then, during one critique session, the comments came. "Author intrusion", "Lets' stay with Dree a little longer" then, "Psychic distance."
What?
Erik (great critique friend) told me about psychic distance and suggested I might want to brush up. So I did.
I searched the internet and found a few articles on the subject, but none better than Vicki Hinze's article. (Check it out here.)
After reading what she had to say, I decided to analyze my chapters. Vicki suggested watching out for words like realized, considered, wondered, etc. All words that potentially take the reader out of the characters head.
I started with searching the word considered. Not bad. Only found 2. Next up, realized. Yikes. 19. Now thought. Ouch! 94!
Actually, I'm not surprised. I love this word. Makes it easy but perhaps a little too easy. I make a promise to look at every one to see if they really belong there or if I need to eliminate. Most likely, it'll be the latter. But here's the thing. I'm glad. It's another area of writing that I've become aware of. It'll make Dree's voice stronger and ultimately the book.
Now, back to revisions... Read the rest of this post

Just finished reading my friend Maggie's blog. We are writing friends, silently agreeing to travel the road of publication together. Thoughtful listening, much laughter and critical analysis of our manuscripts have been the basis of our mutual support but now the blog world has been added to our connection. I find myself waiting for Sunday mornings (the day Maggie posts) to see what inspiration she will unveil.
I love her post today. Life Lists. We all have them, whether we write them down or not. They change, of course. When I was nineteen, one of the biggie's on my list was to drive on the 401 freeway in Toronto. Reference needed. Had my license but only used public transport like most college kids. For some strange reason, driving as a passenger on the six lane freeway caused much anxiety. Coming from Prince Edward Island, where there are only single lane highways, this was a new experience for me. I'm not exactly sure where my fascination came from. My college roommate, Heather, drove on the 401 like it was a trip to the grocery store. She seemed so cool and capable.
A few years later, I drove my younger sister to college. We packed up my Mazda 323 and drove from PEI to Toronto. Pretty much single lane divided highways until Trois-Rivieres. Easy riding so far, but I knew they were coming. The big ones. The bulking expanse of concrete and lanes and cars.
Strange thing is, after finding myself in the middle of rush hour traffic in Oshawa, it didn't feel so hard. Easy, in fact. I was cool and capable! My little sister slept in the passenger seat while I mentally crossed off one of my life's to-do list items.
I still have my life's to-do list tucked away in the farthest reaches of my brain. The biggest one, and has always been, is to have my Greenwood Academy story told. When it happens, it will be unlikely that I'll simply cross it off my list. There will be baby to-do's spawning off the big one.
That's what makes life great.

Stuart P. Green, author of Lying, Cheating, and Stealing: A Moral Theory of White-Collar Crime, is the Louis B. Porterie Professor of Law at Louisiana State University. His book navigates the ambiguity of white-collar crimes by examining the underlying moral fabric and illuminating what conduct is worthy of punishment by criminal sanction. Below Green looks at the case of Lord John Brown.

Earlier this month, Lord John Browne, once hailed as the “Sun King of the oil industry,” resigned from his post as CEO of British Petroleum amid allegations that he had lied to a court about his sexual relationship with another man. The 58-year-old Browne, who is viewed as one of the most accomplished business executives of his generation, had brought an invasion-of-privacy suit seeking to enjoin the Mail on Sunday tabloid newspaper from publishing reports about his four-year relationship with 27-year-old Jeff Chevalier. (more…)

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