The Secret to Marathon Training

To learn about why I’m running the NYC marathon and how you can help visit http://whereamiwearing.com/…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE4G9LwB95M[/youtube] …

Shoot Me: What good is humiliation if you can't share it?

I am sick of looking at me.

I just scrolled through 600+ photos of me to select a few for my new Press Kit page. It was my first photo shoot since my high school senior pictures.  Maybe I’ll print out these photos and on the back I’ll write you a personal note about how much fun we’ve had these last four years and how I know we’ll keep in touch because we are totally BFFs.  Or maybe I’ll just select the goofiest photos and post them  below.

Brian MacDonald of MacDonald Photography shot the 600 photos plus my new book trailer. I wonder if his finger hurt as much from snapping shots as my face hurt from smiling.  We did have some fun doing it, as evidenced below,…

Great Expectations: Fatherhood vs. Authorhood

I’ve heard about authors saying that releasing your book to the world is like becoming a new parent – all that excitement and anxiety.

Since my book and my first child were separated by little more than one month, I believe I have a unique perspective on this and I’m prepared to make the definitive statement on the matter:

Releasing a book is nothing like having your first child. I suspect, if I would have been the one doing the pushing, sweating, and contracting for 23 hours, I would be even more adamant about this, if not offended by the comparison.

Sure, I’m concerned about how my book is perceived by the world-at-large, but what little (I’m lucky) criticism the book…

A reader shares "My Journey from Cambodia as a Sweatshop Worker"

The other day I got an amazing email from Sina Li, a Clothing Design student at University of Minnesota who was born in Cambodia.  She read WAIW? and enjoyed it, which thrilled me.  Her sister works at a garment factory and Sina almost did before coming to the United States.

I asked her to tell her story and she did so in the comments of this post, but I thought I would share them here, too.  Thanks for Sharing Sina!

My journey from Cambodia as a sweatshop worker

This is for Kelsey asking me to write on his blog. Well it started when I was about 13 years old when my life was so close to no choice but to work at a sweatshop factory in Cambodia Phnom Penh. Every body…

Notes to Aspiring Writers

Tomorrow the Midwest Writers’ Workshop kicks-off in Muncie. It was there that I met my agent two years ago. (Here’s a recap of the 2007 conference.) This year I’ll be a junior member of the faculty. I don’t think they actually have junior members, but my duties are light.

Here’s my schedule:

Thursday: I’ll be lingering all day, attending sessions and eating cookies, but I’ll officially be schmoozing  at

3:45-4:15 Social Time / Book Signings; coffee

Friday:

4:15-5:15 pm [1]…