My mother began reading to me from a very early age. I loved books and how you could escape into them. There are so many that I remember, but one that stands out is when I was alone in the library, bored and in 7th grade when I found a book called The Girl Who Owned A City. It blew me away how strong and smart the female character was portrayed. It is now a book I recommend reading to my own children.
I try to wake up before everyone else on a Saturday and Sunday, grab a cup of coffee, curl up in a blanket with my little pug Winnie on my lap and carve out a few hours of reading time. The problem is when a book is really, really good those hours can turn into an all day event.
ALL.
It has been an interesting switch coming from someone who read only for pleasure and who is now looking underneath the covers so to speak of the “mechanics” of writing now that I”ve been involved with the workshop for so many years. I can see patterns, brilliance and form and I love knowing that I am in good writing hands.
The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez. When you read a master of writing it takes you to a whole new level of engagement with the novel. She’s a MASTER of her craft. Style, intelligence, humanity and her writing style is uniquely hers.
Whether you are looking for a gift for the other writers in your life or thinking of ways to commit to your craft in 2026, we put together a gift guide perfect for the holiday season. BOOKS We asked our instructors and staff to share the book they’re giving friends
BY SUZANNE FARRELL SMITH At my first grad school program, my inaugural class was a writing-heavy course on cultural criticism, co-taught by a famous, cantankerous, prolific author. He told us, in so many words, “Writers must write every day. If you don’t write every day, you are not a writer.”
