Lane Igoudin

Book review of The Magician by Colm Tóibín in Lambda Literary

Lambda Literary published and included in its December mailings my review of The Magician, Colm Tóibín’s novelized biography of Thomas Mann, Germany’s greatest 20th century writer – and a married and closeted public figure. “Gay, artistic Thomas is born into a prosperous mercantile family [where] money is as self-evident and essential as water and sunshine.Continue reading “Book review of The Magician by Colm Tóibín in Lambda Literary”

Travel/spirituality essay to come out in Parabola

Super excited: my travel essay “Out of the Depths of a Mayan Burial Cave,” based on a mind-opening spiritual experience in Yucatan, has been bought by Parabola (New York). Can’t wait to see in their Winter 2022/23 issue! Parabola, also known as Parabola: The Search for Meaning, is a Manhattan-based quarterly magazine on the subjectsContinue reading “Travel/spirituality essay to come out in Parabola”

“The iPad Wars” Published by the StoryHouse Writers’ Showcase

My parenting essay “The iPad Wars” has been picked up by the online StoryHouse Writers’ Showcase of The Preservation Foundation, a literary non-profit which has been “preserving the extraordinary stories of ‘ordinary’ people” since 1976.” It originally appeared in print in the 2018 issue of The Citadel, the literary journal published at Los Angeles CityContinue reading ““The iPad Wars” Published by the StoryHouse Writers’ Showcase”

“A Mindful Pilgrimage” in ZCLA’s Water Wheel

We started in a circle, hands in gassho, chanting “mu.” The sound first vibrated throughout my skull, like an inner bell inviting me to turn inwards, and then, when shared by a group of 30, it turned into a spontaneous vibration rising up to the morning sky . . . Continue to the article. InContinue reading ““A Mindful Pilgrimage” in ZCLA’s Water Wheel”

“Caps Off to You!” A Fathers’ Day feature on FamilyEquality.org

Happy Father’s Day to all you parents out there! So glad for the opportunity to share the experience of watching our first child graduate from high school – a new frontier for gay families – with Family Equality supporters. I can’t praise enough the work this organization does to protect and advance the rights ofContinue reading ““Caps Off to You!” A Fathers’ Day feature on FamilyEquality.org”

Those Tactfully Confusing Euphemisms

Students in my ESL writing classes are often confused by the indirect terms we use to address sensitive issues. Here is a handout I put together for them to introduce them, in simple terms, to some out of the many euphemisms we use. Americans teach their children: “If you can’t say anything nice, say nothingContinue reading “Those Tactfully Confusing Euphemisms”

Lit agent search using Publishers Marketplace

My advice piece for fellow writers on how to find and build a list of prospective literary agents landed on the front page of the California Writers Club quarterly newsletter. Click below to read it. Founded in 1909, California Writers Club is one of the nation’s oldest professional clubs for writers. With 22 branches throughout theContinue reading “Lit agent search using Publishers Marketplace”

Citadel submissions open until 5/31

The Citadel, a long-running literary journal in the English/ESL department of Los Angeles City College where I teach, is seeking submissions for its annual issue from the writers near and far. It’s an excellent opportunity to get published and connect to readers and other writers. Note that there is a $10 reading fee for allContinue reading “Citadel submissions open until 5/31”

At AWP22: Moderating a Panel and Reading

#AWP22 was a swirl of activities as the literary world is emerging from the downtime of the pandemic. What a difference from the last live AWP convention, March 2020 in San Antonio, the so-called #AWPocalypse of 2020 – a conference on the edge of a world shutting down, which I wrote about for the CaliforniaContinue reading “At AWP22: Moderating a Panel and Reading”

Guide for foster/adoptive parents on #1 adoption site

Glad to share my research into foster/adoption policies and history on Adoption.com, the world’s largest adoption website and adoptive parent platform. I hope it will make a useful guide for prospective foster/adoptive parents. Wish I’d known all of this going into the fost/adopt process years ago! When considering adopting kids from foster care, prospective parentsContinue reading “Guide for foster/adoptive parents on #1 adoption site”