Points of failure

I haven’t been able to complete a work of fiction all year. It’s frustrating. Staying the course is challenging when it feels like not much is happening.

Enjoy my conversation with Luis Alberto Urrea—NY Times bestselling author, Pulitzer finalist, and genuinely the coolest guy.

"After visiting two clinics in one day, I found my five-year-old niece waiting for me to play. My dad asked to join us. I saw them side by side in the yard, her bouncing with all the energy in the world, him ambling with his walker. We're all on a journey back to childhood. He is acting out the only version of childhood he knows; not playing games, but playing defense."

My eagerness to make things work before they were ready created a bigger setback.

In April I completed something that started twenty years ago.

On noticing the signals from within

How clarity of purpose brought a great rejection

For years I've used a notebook to hold myself accountable. Last month I noticed an uncomfortable pattern hiding in those pages.

Recently, I found myself reverting to an old habit: Reacting emotionally during unfavorable situations. On the surface, I strive to remain calm and poised, and for the most part I think I succeed. I can't deny, however, that stoic as I may aspire to be, a hot-headed Latino also lives inside me. I can point to two examples from this month: At work, where I've been for almost a decade, I've been able to tour and travel home to see my family at a moment's notice. Now, th