Take the First Step

Take the First Step

When I speak to students during readings of my books, Martin the Marlin, The One and Only Ben, and Martin the Marlin: Friends Help Friends — in groups that often number in the hundreds, from Kindergarten through 8th grade — I get questions so direct they can only come...
Science Friction

Science Friction

I recently read a blog post, “Lead Behaviors not Lead Scores”, by Josh Hill, and a book, Great Sky River, by Gregory Benford. The latter opened my eyes to the former. In Great Sky River, the last of humanity fights to survive on Snowglade, pursued by...
Knowing Write from Wrong: Part 1

Knowing Write from Wrong: Part 1

In the summer of 1964, my parents rented a small, red cottage on Cherry Street at Chapman Beach in Westbrook, Connecticut. Headed east along the shoreline, the next beach is Chalker Beach. The one after that is Indian Town. That matters because that same summer, my...
New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s Resolutions

I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions. They’re as effective as a Band-Aid to the ski-jump guy: They won’t fix anything, nor will they have meaningful or lasting effects. Nevertheless, my New Year’s resolution is to propose some...
Do the Lighten Up*

Do the Lighten Up*

In 2004, the priest who presided over the high-school graduation of my son, Quinn, said this, acknowledging the myriad difficulties of the age in which the accidents of our births find us in existence: “We are blessed with challenges.” My first reaction...