Are you a moody, broody sort of reader? Do you crave the page turner? Is there a way, dear friend, to focus on atmosphere AND plot in writing? I love when the action of a book comes out of hazy gauze into focus and catches me by surprise. That is, I am so absorbed by the feel of the writing that I am only subconsciously attuned to the tectonic shifts transpiring under the surface of the sentences. Even in contemplative writing, things do occur. Or, as the kids like to say, shit happens.

These are some of the things we think and talk and write about in the Thursday Short Form Workshop I’ve been leading at the Troy Arts Center. There’s just two weeks left and I can say that it’s been a hugely rich experience so far. This Thursday I think we’ll look at this gem by Mary Robinson, among others.

The Weather in the Streets in The New Yorker.