Unlearning the Law: Novel Lessons

Books

Unlearning the Law: Novel Lessons
by Martha Anne Toll, former lawyer, current novelist

Myriad lawyers transition from litigating to literature. I am no exception: I recently published my debut novel, THREE MUSES. Before that, I attended law school, practiced law, and worked for many years in social justice and the nonprofit world. Each of those jobs involved intensive writing where I had to learn how to present arguments clearly on the page, and to advocate for strategy and policy positions. I sharpened my research and analytic skills as I tried to present the incontrovertible. However, as I was becoming a novelist, I realized I had to unlearn the writing practices I found most useful in my time in the corporate and non-profit world.  I have thus identified three rules in fiction that may come in handy for others following a similar path: 

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Vol. 1 Brooklyn’s September 2022 Book Preview

September 2022 books

We’ve entered the final weeks of summer. In practical terms, that means that it could turn brisk at a moment’s notice — or that a heatwave might be upon us before long. All of which means that this month’s array of books take a similarly wide-ranging approach, encompassing everything from taut poetry to maximalist fiction. Here are some recommendations to get your fall reading started.

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