on eating your heart out

Judd Apatow already knew several SNL cast members from the stand-up scene in Los Angeles. When his own roommate, Adam Sandler, made it onto the show, Apatow figured it was only a matter of time before he joined the Not Ready for Prime Time Players. "If only I could

on the origin of authors

It's hard not to be a little skeptical when the winners chalk it up to hard work. "I was obliged to be industrious," Bach wrote. "Whoever is equally industrious will succeed equally well." Sure, Bach. Sure. Of course talent is a thing. And yet.

learn to love that pond

As a teenager, Pat Metheny was a musical prodigy. Well into his sixties, he's still teaching, performing, composing, and recording. Why? He couldn't possibly have anything left to prove, could he? Apparently not: "I am definitely well into the not-giving-a-shit zone of my career,"

tuning in

(I'll be moderating a panel on book auctions at the U.S. Book Show this week. If you'll be at the event on Tuesday, please swing by.) I've wanted to discuss the Believer's interview with Michael Imperioli since the magazine came in

breaking it in

No serious pitcher plays with a brand-new glove. You've got to break it in first. Stretch a couple of heavy-duty rubber bands around it, or sleep with it under your mattress—the methods vary, but the principle remains the same. You break a glove in a little if

the dose makes the poison

When crafting advice for others, remember your Paracelsus: dosis sola facit venenum. Latin a little rusty? "Only the dose makes the poison." It isn't enough to tell us what might help. As an expert, the least you can do is tell us the least we can

let's get ready to ramble

Making my way through the sprawling Wheel of Time series (WoT) as a young aspiring writer, I often wondered how author Robert Jordan did it on a technical level: How could one person keep so much information straight across one enormous book after another while telling an epic story? As

skimping on prep

Recipes list prep time for a reason. There's nothing worse than getting four pans bubbling on the stove only to realize you needed a chopped onion thirty seconds ago. Fresh out of college, I made videos with friends and shared them at parties. This was pre-YouTube, so the

no pain, all gain

They'll tell you not to compare your insides to other people's outsides. You won't listen. As a writer, it's hard not to envy Brandon Sanderson, the prolific and successful fantasy novelist. Forget the $41.7 million Kickstarter campaign and all the best-sellers

stating the obvious

"What were they wearing?" "Something...brown. Maybe?" My wife notices clothing. I don't. When I try to remember a situation, the clothing data just isn't there. It's hazy, like trying to read a book in a dream. Shirts? Pants? A