Tom Swift Writer’s Notebook

We walked around, saw the falls, and poked about the park. I had been on my feet most of the day after a short night of sleep and had misjudged how much farther we had to reach the designated area where dogs are allowed to run unencumbered by a leash. Once there we still had [...]

I signed the tall stack of books in a dash and along the way met many pleasant booksellers. Afterward, I joined four of them (and a fellow book-signer) for some Italian. Good food, great time. The next day I picked up some books — and engaged in interesting conversations about some of them. I met [...]

I have decided to suspend my writing career. I think we can call agree it’s the only prudent thing to do, given the financial crisis our fundamentally sound economy is enduring. These times are just too critical to do anything but sit and think about a subject that, like others, I admit I know almost [...]

Three years ago I flipped on Book TV and was introduced to Sam Harris. I hadn’t before and haven’t since heard an author present his material in a more compelling way. So I bought a copy of his first book and after that bowled me over I’ve pretty much read everything he’s written since.
Of late [...]

Bob Hussey writes of Chief Bender’s Burden in the October issue of Minnesota Monthly: “Swift’s account of the treatment of Native Americans and his richly detailed portrait of Philadelphia at the beginning of the 20th century will … interest general readers.” Thanks to reader P.E. for pointing out the review and thanks to Minnesota Monthly [...]

Imagine if you opened a newspaper and learned the results of a national election in which the “winner” received a half-million fewer votes than the loser. That would seem odd, likely prompting you to read on. Then you read that the election hinged on a series of sketchy details — confusing ballots, a mysterious and [...]

I’m not much for reunions but I went to one last night — a gathering of old friends from the neighborhood where I lived until I was middle school age. The neighborhood was a square block that surrounded an oversized pond we referred to simply as The Lake. The Lake served as a rare sort [...]

Thanks to writer Dwight Hobbes for his interest in Charles Bender’s story. His questions and my answers were just published at the Daily Planet.

This is the only store in the known universe with a display of year-to-date sales that puts “Chief Bender’s Burden” ahead of Eat, Pray, Love — a book that has sold nearly 13 gazillion copies nationwide. Thanks to every kind soul who made it possible for me to snap this peculiar picture.

I’m no economist, and I don’t play one in blog posts, but can’t we all agree — at least all of us who value evidence — that trickle-down economics is a failed idea?
Attempting something that continually fails expecting a different result is (and I know this from considerable experience with repeated failure) the definition of [...]

Speaking of kind faces, it took us even less time to locate another new (to us) haunt in this familiar place: the pooch park. Actually, there are two dog parks in these parts, which weeks later still strikes me as cool. The Beast’s birthplace was more than three times as large and didn’t contain a [...]

When I open the laptop, I feel optimistic. I read the headlines. I scan the polls. This campaign has my attention. And my attention has ample targets.
Many bright and educated minds spend no small part of every day contemplating the strategies, issues and numbers. With a few clicks I find intelligent analysis, thought-provoking ideas and [...]

One of the first things we did after settling back was to become a member-owner of Just Food. I can’t afford to buy all of my groceries there, but my mood lightens when I walk through the door. I like that, unlike at a big-box grocer, I can walk around the place in inside of [...]

The unfortunate passing of Gregory Mcdonald reminds me that he wrote the only mystery I’ve read — and I’ve read it more than once — since I left the Hardy Boys behind: Fletch is the smart-ass I wish I could be.

I read this poem a couple of weeks ago and it’s still in my head. What lingers is the vivid truth the poet tells. Every day people live through situations like this one. If you don’t have a good job (or any job), life can be so hard. Yet even though fewer and fewer people [...]

Speaking of conversations, I had the opportunity to be the guest on the Donna Seebo Show the other day. Ms. Seebo asked good questions and I would like to think I provided useful answers for her listeners. But I am allergic to the sound of my own voice, so I’ll have to pretend that I [...]

One of my former teachers recently recalled a writerly remark she heard from a colleague: If you take three days off, you have to start over again. That’s about right. Flow is lost. Feels like you’re writing up hill. After a month of life transition, I am starting to roll the boulder again. A good [...]