Monthly Archives: September 2011

You Can Spread It with a Paper Knife!

Posted on September 30, 2011 by

Remember this commercial?  No?  Well, 1977 really was a long time ago, I suppose.  This 36-second drama presents a man in a suit explaining to a housewife that Pillsbury Frosting Supreme is so creamy that “you can spread it with … Continue reading →

Posted in Volta | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Part II. Unknown Unknowns

Posted on September 15, 2011 by

Mock Donald Rumsfeld all you like for his famous “Unknown unknowns” remark about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but he was right: it’s the stuff you don’t know that you don’t know that will sneak up from behind and … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Part I. How Freewriting Can Ruin 18 Consecutive Birthday Cakes

Posted on September 1, 2011 by

Nineteen years ago, I sat under a tree in the oldest part of the Rutgers campus and began to freewrite, as instructed by the poet Deena Linett, my professor in the New Jersey Writing Project.  The idea behind the NJ … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments