(Originally published in Tishman Review online 2/9/2016. Read here or link to in “Published Works.”)

My guiding principle in writing has always been that I try to write the very best essay, story, or poem that I can at that moment. I have spent much of my career writing essays and feature articles for newspapers and magazines, and now, of course, for online news sources and journals. Sometimes these print publications are free to the community, or cost the reader one or two dollars. Mostly, I have gotten paid for my work, even if often it is barely enough to buy a new inkjet for my printer.

The key is that I never say to myself, “Well, it’s just The Beach Reporter or it’s only Main Line Life” (two community newspapers I have written extensively for – one in southern California, one in suburban Philadelphia), “I’ll just slop something down.” Whether I’m aiming for The New York Times or the Pioneer Press, my commitment to my most excellent writing is the same. Continue reading →

(Originally appeared in The Beach Reporter on 6/24/93)

All of us face rejection in some form or another during our lives. A girlfriend or boyfriend finds someone else, a boss suggests a new line of work, our children reject our lifestyle and go live in a commune.

But there are a few professions where people deal with rejection on a daily basis. Sales people face rejection when they can’t sell their product or service. Actors might face rejection when they try out for a part. Writers face the possibility of rejection every time they send out their work for publication.

At least a sales rep can cushion the blow of rejection by transferring the negative to the product they are selling. “They still like me, it’s just the product they don’t like.” Really good salespeople can actually look at rejection as a positive – they are just that much closer to a sale.

For a writer, it’s somewhat different. What you write is so tied up with who you are and what you believe, that rejection feels more personal. Let’s say you have an essay you have worked on, crafted to perfection, and sent it off to the perfect market. This is likely to be the reply to your efforts:
Dear Writer: Thank you for letting us consider your work. We regret that we are unable to use it. Best of luck placing it elsewhere. The Editors
Or: Thanks for your interest in XYZ Magazine. Although your story has merit, it does not meet our current editorial needs. The Editors.

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(This essay I wrote about Ray Bradbury appeared in The Beach Reporter on 5/31/91. Bradbury died in 2012. I have seen him speak at least a dozen times over the years. He used to come every year to speak to a group of writers I used to belong to: The Southwest Manuscripters.)

I just got my annual Ray Bradbury fix last night. When you hear Bradbury speak, usually you don’t go to sleep for about three days. You start writing that novel or screenplay or poem, or painting that picture, or figuring out how to get your life less boring. He is a man who challenges you to wake up, observe life’s details, and become an energetic participant.

I have been going to hear Ray Bradbury speak every year for about seven years, which is nothing when you consider that he has been speaking to the Southwest Manuscripters for about forty years.

The way he tells it, he used to take the Red Car to Hermosa Beach from L. A. to give his annual speech. You see, our group invited him to be a guest speaker before he was famous, and he returns the favor by returning every year. For forty years. That’s just the kind of guy he is.

Ray doesn’t know me well, although I did write a feature article on him a few years ago, and sent him a copy. He sent me an appreciative postcard acknowledging the article I wrote. He wrote that he had found it “vastly entertaining.” Continue reading →