Writers Are Beautiful and Dangerous
In November of last year, I took my first trip to Paris in more than 30 years. Père Lachaise Cemetery sat at the top of my list.
I wanted to see Jim Morrison’s new headstone, with his father’s addition to the tombstone, “kata ton daimona eautou” (“true to his own spirit” or “true to his own demon”). I hoped for flashback memories. But I had none. I vaguely remembered going to the cemetery in 1986 on the Metro, second class.
What does this all have to do with Rhetorically Writing?
After years of (half-heartedly) pursuing writing and editing for hire, I’m pivoting to helping nonfiction writers grow as authors and nonfiction authors grow as writers. Truthful to my spirit—a lifelong fascination with people who have something to say, not just something to sell.
This newsletter will cover philosophical and practical questions and my own reflection as well as technical instruction. It’s free for now.
If you subscribed many years ago to some long-abandoned iteration of my work, I apologize for clogging your inbox or feed. Fare thee well.
Writers:
What are your creative goals?
How does writing help bring you clarity?
What are the human purposes you intend to serve by sharing your work?
How will you share your work — publishing, reading, performing, correspondence?
Authors:
Are you ready to skip the ghostwriting and write it yourself?
How can you go deeper than sharing stories and data to grapple with core ideas?
Could you write as a human having an expert experience rather than as an expert?
If brand were no object, what would you really care about writing?
Listen to a choir perform Poulenc’s Litanies à la Vierge Noire at the Festival of Rocamadour, on the site of its inspiration.