Social Science

Focus on a single aspect of the craft of writing with help from the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto. Writing Character begins with an essay by author and educator Constance Hale, who offer pointers for observing and capturing human complexity. The rest of the book consists of prompts and space to think, providing opportunities for you to develop your own characters. Among other ideas, you’ll be asked to create:

-a sketch of a famous person you admire
-a portrait of someone based on the items on his desk
-a positive take on someone you loathe
-a description of your mother’s emotions as they are expressed by her eyes
-a scene involving a group of people, focusing exclusively on how they use their hands

Take to a café, on vacation, or on your morning commute and practice your creative writing a little bit at a time.

It’s been nearly a century since Marcel Duchamp exhibited a urinal and called it art. Since then, painting has been declared dead several times over, and contemporary art has now expanded to include just about any object, action, or event: dance routines, slideshows, functional hair salons, seemingly random accretions of waste. In the meantime, being an artist has gone from a join-the-circus fantasy to a plausible vocation for scores of young people in America.

But why–and how and by whom–does all this art get made? How is it evaluated? And for what, if anything, will today’s artists be remembered? In The Contemporaries, Roger White, himself a young painter, serves as our spirited, skeptical guide through this diffuse creative world.

White takes us into the halls of the RISD graduate program, where students learn critical lessons that go far beyond how to apply paint to canvases. In New York, we meet the neophytes who assist established artists–and who walk the fine line between “assistance” and “making the art.” In Milwaukee, White trails a group of friends trying to create a viable scene where rent is cheap, but where the spotlight rarely shines. And he gives us an intimate perspective on three wildly different careers: that of Dana Schutz, an emerging star who is revitalizing painting; Mary Walling Blackburn, whose challenging art defies market forces; and Stephen Kaltenbach, a ’70s wunderkind who is back on the critical radar, perhaps in spite of his own willful obscurity.

From young artists trying to elbow their way in to those working hard at dropping out, White’s essential book offers a once-in-a-generation glimpse of the inner workings of the American art world at a moment of unparalleled ambition, uncertainty, and creative exuberance.

Now Write! Screenwriting-the latest addition to the Now Write! writing guide series-brings together the acclaimed screenwriters of films like the Oscar-winning Raging Bull, Oscar- nominated Ali, era-defining blockbuster Terminator 2, musical classic Fame, hit series “Lost” “True Blood” and “The Shield,” Groundhog Day, Cape Fear, Chicken Run, Reversal of Fortune, Before Sunrise, Mystic Pizza, Indecent Proposal, and many more, to teach the art of the story.

Focus on a single aspect of the craft of writing with help from the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto. Writing Dialogue begins a foreword by author and educator Shanthi Sekaran, who offers pointers for creating believable speech in your fiction. The rest of the book consists of prompts and space to think, providing opportunities to explore how dialogue can bring your characters and plotlines to life.

Among other ideas, you’ll be asked to write speech for:
a pent-up confession of love
a family’s reaction when dinner is ruined
a job interview in which the interviewee has all the power
a first date that is going well (and then not so well)
a toast at dinner party, honoring someone who has wronged you

Take to a café, on vacation, or on your morning commute and practice your creative writing a little bit at a time.

Concerns about self-esteem, peer pressure, and behavior can make raising healthy, happy boys seem overwhelming–but it doesn’t have to be. With the help of The Conscious Parent’s Guide to Raising Boys, you can encourage open communication with your son.

With patience and everyday mindfulness, you can guide your boys from childhood through those challenging developmental years. This easy-to-use guide explains how you can help your son:
-Communicate effectively with others
-Strengthen self-image and resist peer pressure
-Define and exhibit acceptable behavior
-Keep their commitments to family, community, and themselves

Family therapist Jennifer Costa provides you with the information and support you need for parenting with flexibility, resilience, and love so you can create a calm, happy environment for raising well-adjusted, confident boys.