Essays and Reviews

Robert Birdwell

My American Violence

Read my latest essay on repairing society by healing the hatred we carry, published in Tikkun, here.

Robert Birdwell

Imagining Integration through Post-2020 Media: Reflections on Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias

I saw Netflix’s first season of Sweet Magnolias, based on a novel series by Sherryl Woods, in late spring of 2020, when my wife and I...

Robert Birdwell

I’m Self-Publishing My Book. Why Do I Need a Copyeditor?

Many authors skip the hurdles of seeking an agent and book contract, going directly to a self-publishing company. Some self-publishing...

Robert Birdwell

Acknowledging Racism and Empowering Everyone: A Review of Heather McGhee's: "The Sum of Us"

Heather McGhee’s book The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together (New York: One World, 2021) changes the...

Robert Birdwell

Freewriting

Freewriting is a way to get your writing started and keep it moving. When you freewrite, you don’t censor or second-guess your words. You...

Robert Birdwell

The Pace of the Writing Process

The major lesson of every writing class I teach is that writing is a process. It’s not a swift leap from inspiration to print. There are...

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