Breaking Bad Writer’s Advice

Grub Street is a terrific resource for writers in the Boston area — they offer classes, consultations and conferences. They also have a daily blog of writing advice. My contribution was about what I learned from listening to the “Breaking Bad Insider Podcast.” It starts: I’m among the many fans who are eagerly awaiting each…

Breaking Bad prediction

After Breaking Bad’s last episode’s cliffhanger, I have no idea whether Hank, Gomie or Jesse survives, but I had a sudden flash of insight as to what will happen with Walter White and the Neo-Nazis. My prediction is based half on what is being shown with the characters, and half based on analyzing the narrative…

Letter re: Wiffle Ball

The July 14, 2013 issue of the Boston Globe Magazine printed this letter: DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION Just a quick note to tell Jack Cheng (Connections, June 23) that he wrenched my attention away from the crossword with his first paragraph: “A 70-year-old man is blocking the base path .  .  .  . As he stumbles, I race toward…

What Spelling Bees Taught Me About Life

Life lessons I learned while watching two spelling bees, published in Brain, Child Magazine. My two children recently competed in city-wide spelling bees. Sitting in the audience, my vocabulary didn’t improve, but I learned a lot about life. Luckily, I took notes in the form of Twitter missives. For example: Life is not about spelling…

Assyria’s National Instrument

The journal Iraq, published by the British School of Archaeology in Iraq recently printed an academic article about Assyrian music that I wrote. The citation is: Cheng, Jack, “The Horizontal Forearm Harp: Assyria’s National Instrument,” Iraq 74, 2012, p. 75-87. Here’s the abstract: A horizontal harp, strung with 7 to 9 strings and usually decorated…

Antigone in Boston

My latest post for The Public Humanist begins like this: I was a Creon until I realized that it put me against Antigone. Now I’m not so sure.  Last week, listening to public radio, I heard about the protests against the burial of Tamerlan Tsarnaev. I nodded in agreement as various voices denounced the alleged…

The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle

I’m an accidental coach. I thought I would sign up to assistant coach my son’s 4th grade soccer team but with limited parent volunteers, I got “promoted” to head coach of the Bears. As it turned out, some other parents stepped in to help out and I’m enjoying it. One of the other father’s even…