I'm headed to an author-talk luncheon today, an intriguing chance to hear what another writer has to say about writing. While good writers don't necessarily translate to good speakers, most know how to express themselves well when speaking about their craft. The last speaker I heard, Laura Lippman, was masterful, her subjects flowing smoothly from point to point so that the time flew by and I felt that I got a sense of her as a professional and as a person.

Liking an author doesn't…

A note from Barry Eisler got me thinking about reading together, because my husband and I both enjoy his work. Early in my career as a teacher I gave up trying to make all my students read the same book. Although there are advantages, it's very hard to get that large a group to agree on anything for hundreds of pages. It always ended up with a few thrilled, many bored.

It's the same in other areas of my life. I've given books that I loved to friends who were either not impressed or…