Claire Bidwell Smith

I've been working until 10pm the last few nights, trying to finish up edits on my book. It's almost done! Which is both terrifying, and exhilarating. Mostly terrifying. No matter how many times I read it, it's still hard to imagine that other people are going to be doing the same, en masse, less than Read more…

I got home safely from New York on Wednesday night. Despite my separation anxiety and the fact that I didn’t see any of my friends while in the city, I still had a remarkably fun trip. I wasn’t kidding when I said that Manhattan is like an ex-boyfriend that I never quite got over. I’m Read more…

My editor called yesterday to tell me that she read my whole book in 3 days and loved it. Hearing her say that was the most validating experience I've had as a writer. Not to mention what a relief it was. I'd been literally having nightmares ever since I sent it off. She said lots Read more…

I took Vera to her weekly swim class yesterday. The pool is in a big light-filled room with floor-to-ceiling windows like a cathedral. It's kept very warm and it is always a treat to be standing around in a bathing suit looking outside at the snow-covered trees. Vera is sweet in the water — she's Read more…

It's Friday morning and I'm sitting in one of my two favorite coffee shops (the one that has less of a scene, and is thus less distracting) while Greg and Vera are at story time at the zoo. I've been working on the very last chapter of my book this week and I think I'll Read more…

The Problem with Memoirs is the title of a piece that ran in yesterday's New York Times. The article is a scathing review of several new memoirs and the author, Neil Genzlinger, takes this opportunity to pretty much bash the entire genre. I found it quite shocking to read and I'm still mulling it over. Read more…

Life has suddenly gotten very busy. Thankfully, I thrive on being busy so this kind of breathless activity only enlivens me more, but gosh, when I say busy, I mean really busy. For instance I'm going out of town twice in the next week. First to Nashville, and then to New York. (But more on Read more…

I'm writing this from bed, where I am feebly battling a viscious cold my handsome husband gave me this week. Thanks Greg! Truthfully, I'm still trying to take in this whole book deal. It's a lot to wrap my head around. This is something I have wanted for over TEN years. I can still remember Read more…

I can hardly believe that I am about to type the following sentence. This week I accepted an offer from Penguin to publish my memoir. The Rules of Inheritance will debut in hardcover in the spring of 2012 through Hudson Street Press, and then again in paperback through Plume a year after that. I know Read more…

In an impulsive decision yesterday, I signed up for NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month), which means I'll be posting every day for the rest of the month. Yikes. I don't know who is going to suffer more from this — you or me — probably you. (I already missed one day, but I promise to Read more…