On Large Language Models (for now)

(Photo from Investopedia.)   I thought I would have some fun with the disclaimer of my third novel. I wrote:   This is a work of fiction in progress, composed entirely by the author, without recourse to artificial intelligence. All story elements, including people and events, are fictitious or used […]

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Diversity Statement

(This text was for a university who required a diversity statement in order to work there as professor. I may not have been hired, and yet the reader will notice, right off the bat, I had more than a bit of fun writing this. Enjoy.)   As a native-Houstonian of […]

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Ejercicio: transcripción sonora

Es de noche ya, 6:30 p.m., en Houston, TX. Me sitúo afuera, en la terraza que mira sobre la calle de divide el otro complejo de departamentos con el que donde yo vivo con Ela, mi esposa, y nuestro bebé, Constantin. Escribo con una birome Paper Mate “Write Bros” de […]

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Cómo pincha buscar el cuento

La primera página de Google cuando busqué uno en Houston mostró el de “JBD Estate” en el área de West U. Como estoy trabajando un texto donde la protagonista vive en ese barrio, pareció apropiado. Aparte, pareció divertido visitar el “Man Cave” retro.   TEXTO COMPLETO (.PDF)

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El† muerto más famoso de Houston†

Yo† fui† al cementerio† Glenwood† el viernes† pasado† con mi esposa† Ela† y mi hijo Constantin†. Llegamos cuando se prendían los regadores automáticos.† No vimos a través del agua esparcida por las boquillas del césped y el viento alacre del atardecer ningún arcoíris que reluciera bajo la luz de la […]

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Mi constitución

Yo, Iván Brave, soy un ciudadano de doble nacionalidad, con el lujo de llamarme “americano” sin ofender a nadie, aunque suelo ofender a muchos, pues nací de padres argentinos en Houston, Texas, EEUU, es decir, mi constitución consiste en América del norte y en América del sur, da lo mismo, […]

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En Europa también hubo amor

Recuerdo a mi abuela, abriendo el último cajón de su escritorio, antes de morir. “Te las regalo si querés”. Tenía en sus manos la Torre Eiffel, la Fontana di Trevi, la Sagrada Familia . . . es decir, me entregaba como doce docenas de cartas postales, que ella y mi […]

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What is Fiction, what is Not?

I open at random one of my favorite books of Nonfiction, Gloria Anzaldúa’s Borderlands.   Page 41: Half and Half There was a muchacha who lived near my house. La gente del pueblo talked about her being una de las ortras, “of the Others.” They said that for six months […]

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The Blue House, Episode 2: Proportions

Beth Kephart: It’s one thing to take a measuring tape to a set of architectural blueprints and announce a series of dimensions. It’s quite another to think and write of a house proportionately. What was small and what was large, and in relationship to what, precisely? Think of the work […]

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The Blue House, Episode 1: Intro

“Installed in the moment. Awash with history.” That’s what writer Beth Kephart says about our childhood homes. And it is the line pushing me to post about this topic.   A quick authorial note, I did not just happen on the article. But our instructor, and fellow doctoral student at […]

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Target Practice

All around me: the crisp cool morning air, permeating the two exterior walls of my childhood bedroom; my wife in the room with me, tapping out the voice-over to her newest YT video; my sister downstairs singing to the dogs; the periwinkle blue carpet holding me up; a warm mate, […]

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The Writer’s Lexicon: Went . . . -em- !

First, a charm. Second, a blast. Third, no prob. Forth and fifth too.   But then came sixth period. A monster of a period. What do employees want to do their last hour? The bad ones slack off. The good ones sprint. Either way we expend our pent up oodles […]

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The Writer’s Lexicon: Turn Very

Just a word. Any word.   The class wouldn’t respond, weren’t responding.   What starts with the letter P?   Silence, followed by cell phone screen tapping and eye lash twirling.   What about A? . . . A?   One student’s lips trembled. I figured, that’s a start.   […]

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The Writer’s Lexicon: Shrug Sigh Think

Man, got home with a terrible headache! Backache. I’m sitted (seated) crisscross at the floor of my childhood bedroom, pounding away at the keys. Welp, here it is, another installment of . . . VOCAB IMPROVEMENT.   Today I read about the three words in the title of this post. […]

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The Writer’s Lexicon: Nod, Noisy, Said, Sat, SMH

Today I would like to try something different. Instead of blurting out one exercise paragraph after the other, I figured to write about my day at school. The goal is the the same: avoid instances of the title irritations. No nodding. No “noisy” or “loud.” No Said! And No sitting […]

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