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So what is a blog? Isn't it the place where a writer tries to convince a reader that the writer's two cents are actually worth a buck and a half, a place where the writer can sprinkle his or her minutiae with glitter, a place to say things that one wouldn't dare say to a [...]

The Burn Palace is my 21st published novel. There are also six novels that remain unpublished and, I expect, will continue to be unpublished. Three were the first novels I wrote and three are from the past 15 years. I say this not to brag but to attempt to articulate the words "how strange" because [...]

I didn't get the job. You probably saw it in the New York Times yesterday. The job was director of dance at the Paris Opera Ballet. It went, instead, to Benjamin Millepied, the choreographer and a former principal at New York City Ballet. And the star of Black Swan. And Natalie Portman's husband. Is it [...]

Here's something I've noticed in my incredibly short time as a published author: how frequently people — in interviews, at readings — ask how I write. Do you write in the morning or the afternoon? Do you write in longhand or on a computer, and if it is a computer, is it a Mac, and [...]

May I ask you an asinine question? If you were a brand, what would you be? Are you a Lexus or a Volvo? Nike or Adidas? McDonald's or Burger King? I spent 17 years working as a copywriter. These are the kinds of questions often bandied about in ad agencies and focus groups. We also [...]

Well, it's January 22 and you know what that means. It's time for the World Economic Forum at Davos! What fun! Have you been? Neither have I. But then, it's not ideally suited to freelance writers and first-time novelists for a number of reasons. One, I don't own a plane. Two, I'm not the CEO [...]

Hi. My name is John Kenney. Do you recognize it? No? Okay, try this. Do you recognize the name E. L. James? That's right, the author of "Fifty Shades of Grey." That's me. I'm not a woman. Does that surprise you? It surprises me sometimes. People say to me, "Hey E. L. Why 50 shades? [...]

The Diggs, a family of four on vacation, have concluded their stay at a hotel — save for the painful process of settling the bill. (Read "Part One: Hotel Reservations and Arrival," "Part Two: The Check-In," "Part Three: Interlude and Thank You," and "Part Four: The Three-Night Stay.") Mr. Diggs sits on the edge of [...]

The Diggs, family of four, have succeeded in securing a tiny room and are now attempting to enjoy a vacation. Mr. Diggs is standing in the lobby, sopping wet, rainwater dripping from his head and coat. A big puddle has formed around his shoes. A lobby porter stands idly by, leaning on a mop, waiting [...]

I go to church three times a year now. The church is First United Methodist in Southwest Portland. The only part of it I've ever seen is more or less a basement, a big empty room with a tile floor, folding chairs, and room to plug in a percolator. I go to hear people read [...]

I haven't yet been able to shake the civic funk I always find myself in around election time. The election roller coaster — an undulating set of peaks and valleys marked by anxiety, excitement, frustration, apathy, and euphoria (all that democracy!) — never fails to leave my stomach weak, a gnawing sort of ache that [...]

First, I'd like to thank Powell's Books for having me as their guest blogger this week. It's been an absolute blast, made all the easier and more fun by the great people of this Portland institution. Second, by being a guest blogger, it's allowed that little picture of my book to appear over and over [...]

It's always heartening to hear that your book would make a great holiday gift. One, because I love the holidays to an almost frightening degree. (I live in a small New York City apartment where outside on my deck are two large bins — one for my 8-foot artificial Christmas tree, the other for my [...]

For years cat people have been portrayed as feeble-minded Ms. Havishams who make cozies for their sleeping pets and say things like, "My cat gives the best investment advice," or, "I hope there was an apostle named 'Muffins' because I just got a 13th tabby for my Last Supper tableau." Dog people, on the other [...]

First, I would like to give a big "Thank You!" to Powell's for inviting me to guest blog this week. I'm sure it will be a great deal of fun right up until about Friday, at which point everyone will realize what a frightful mistake this has been and expunge all records of my posts [...]

I'll wager that many of us could use a little extra sweetness to wrap up the events of this intense week. With Thanksgiving a few weeks away (on my blog, Vegan Latina, I'll be gathering together a few of my go-to recipes plus a few unconventional new favorites soon), the daily enjoyment of pumpkin sweets [...]

It's been quite the week in post-hurricane NYC: at my place we've played halfway home to many stranded out-of-town friends, and we've watched local friends twist in the wind over 2½-hour-long commutes into the city. But before all this mayhem, I had a grand blogging plan surrounding my latest trip: less than a week ago [...]

On day two of Hurricane Sandy's aftermath, I'm awash with strange feelings of sadness and hope, weariness from reading too much news, and some confusion that it's also Halloween today. Trick or treat? The sun and a little blue sky peek through fluffy clouds. It's easy to feel a little better and forget about yesterday's [...]

I'm a fan of marrow beans — an intriguingly named, old-fashioned bean I found on a recent trip to Kalustyan's and couldn't pass up. Some say marrow beans taste like bacon or even fatty bone marrow. In a world where pumpkin may just overthrow the gastric tyranny of bacon worship, these beans could be the [...]

I'm writing this, my first guest post for Powell's, on the eve of NYC's first "Frankenstorm," courtesy of hurricane Sandy. I trundled to my home at 7 p.m. on perhaps one of the last trains to Queens on Sunday night, picked up a few cartons of almond milk, and lamented that I didn't get there [...]

Manny lives just around the corner from me, in front of the big red building on Sixth Avenue. He's fearless and happy. I first noticed him when he was living on my block about two years ago. He would flop on the sun-drenched sidewalk, squinting his eyes at me and showing off his gray and [...]

Any Camille Saint-Saëns fans out there? I've been asked many times why I wrote Unusual Creatures, and the answer is simple: The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns. You should listen to it right now. It's a true masterpiece. And just look at his beard. When I was in high school and trying to [...]

Hello Powell's blog readers! What an honor to be here. And to celebrate, I thought I would start with a recipe for wombat poop fudge. (Note: there is no actual wombat poop in this recipe.) Last Thursday was the release party for my new book Unusual Creatures, and as a party favor, I thought it [...]

My mother, about whom I write in my new book, was one of those readers who always read the end of a book first. She said she couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen and that knowing the ending actually increased her enjoyment. I was somewhat skeptical of the claim. But now [...]

I spent more than 20 years in book publishing, mostly as an editor, and one of the most vexing issues my colleagues and I always faced was the jacket — what image (if any) and what type to put on the outside of a book. During my career, I had the privilege of meeting and [...]