Difficult to quantify but not to see just how big a role this plays in the systems of power in our world.

This is like how in 2020 you could know a bad COVID wave was coming because Trump would start screaming about how we should stop testing people.

The discourse online right now and always. So. Many. Shark hats.

Your song for the day. (Natalie Merchant could sing Google search results to me and I’d be happy.) open.spotify.com/track/5babPm...

Your dose of melancholia for a Tuesday morning. (Look, if I gotta be there, you might as well join me.) open.spotify.com/track/2Ajyre...

Top Five films if you want to know me: no. 3 is Pump Up the Volume. On the big screen for the first time tonight. With the director and producer in the room. At the Frida with Heather. Fifteen-year-old me is LIVIN’!

Quick post to say I'm still on the job market and open to contract work right now. If you or someone you know needs written content, editing from concept to copy, coaching on projects from personal to professional, or public speaking, I'm here. Start the conversation at: michaeldeanclark.com/contact

Job ending so I finished a project I’ve been meaning to get to. The past 15 years, I’ve written each creative writing student a letter with advice specific to them. The results (by the numbers minus the first 4 years): 487,932 words…1,173 pages…thousands of memories. PC: Andrew Seaman.

Quick note: I work with writers on a wide variety of projects, professional to personal, artistic to commercial. If you or someone you know has have a story to tell, to your clients, customers, audience, or family members, I can help. You can start here: michaeldeanclark.com/coach

Really feeling the reasons not to be on the job market and making the rounds with agent queries for my novel manuscript. Twice the rejections, twice the…fun?

I was suspended and threatened with expulsion for reading and loving The Color Purple in ninth grade. Years later, Alice Walker congratulated me for doing so during an interview I was listening to from the audience.

Ok, I accept.

What’s the worst part of writing a book proposal and why is it picking comps?

In case my last post gave you fomo, here’s a piece of what I read from my latest essay, “Playing Out of Time.”

What a night. Was asked to read with a stellar group of young artists (the squad needed some gray hair in the mix) at Fables and Fancies in Sierra Madre. And they definitely delivered! As you can see, my theatrics as a reader remain unchanged.

This is incredibly disappointing. The so-called “mechanics” - like research and structure and brainstorming - are literally how writers craft, how they find the way into the work and make it weird, make it theirs. Without that crucial stuff, you’re trying to find emotional truth where there is none

The novel is ready. Next week to potential agents. No stress there!

The struggle to create is the path to the development of human intelligence. Making that struggle easier isn’t a better way. time.com/7295195/ai-c...

Working on my WiP and accidentally typed “bedgrooms.” Shout out to the part of my brain permanently occupied by “A Rose for Emily.” Damn you, Faulkner!

ICYMI: My essay “Sometimes These Collisions Are Final” is out in The Other Journal. Weaving sprinting, grief, shared injury, and loss, this piece helped me grieve the loss of my father. Check it here: theotherjournal.com/2025/06/some...

Former Whittier teacher here: this is evil. Unfortunately, it’s the evil we’re being trained to expect. Never let this become normalized.

Completely caught off guard by publication day. My essay, “Sometimes These Collisions Are Final” is out in The Other Journal. This one explores losing my father through two things we shared: sprinting and the same injury that ended our track days. theotherjournal.com/2025/06/some...

I'm in a moment of career transition, so I thought I'd tell people here I do consulting/coaching/editing work for private clients alongside my teaching. From sifting ideas to finalizing projects, I have decades of experience to share. You can reach me through my website, michaeldeanclark.com.

A good friend and former student of mine, @kathrynhross.bsky.social, got to share some big writing news yesterday, which means I get to share a little of what I’ve learned about her over the years today. Check that out here: michaeldeanclark.com/blog-1/the-r...

Got the chance to attend a benefit show on the 20th anniversary of the Garden State soundtrack this weekend. No one was I more stoked to hear live than Colin Hay. His live version of “I just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You” is simply gorgeous all these years later. Such a great night.

Love this cover. Kinda feels like this song was made for Sam’s voice. open.spotify.com/track/3p5VKS...

People who know me: Spring Break? I bet you’re looking forward to no teaching and catching up on the mountain of work you’re behind on! LA County: Yeah, about that…

Skies over the Southland showing off tonight.

On the blog: Musings on hitting a staying alive milestone in these tumultuous times. michaeldeanclark.com/blog-1/on-ro...

That western skyline sure was pretty tonight.

“Dr. Clark, what are you bumpin’ on the drive home?” 🤣

Y’all, she’s 22 today. Twenty. Two. On the edge of graduating. Making professional moves. An entire adult. Happy Birthday, baby girl. Keep soaring. (Swipe for more little Kasey cuteness.)

Dear friends, the winners of Best Microfiction 2025 are live! A huge thanks to 2025 judge Dawn Raffel! BM 2025 will be released in the Spring! If you're on this list, expect an email and contract from us in the next 2 weeks. www.bestmicrofiction.com? #flashfiction #microfiction #writingcommunity

A couple weeks back I had a fairly personal essay published over at @emptyhousepress.bsky.social and I’ve wanted to share bit of where it came from. I finally had a chance to commit some ideas to the blog about it. You can check those out here: michaeldeanclark.com/blog-1/some-...

1/ RE Meta's decision to abandon fact-checking (and follow the lead of other platforms taking a similar hands-off approach), it's not great. But we have seen this movie before in media history and it's probably more instructive to anticipate what this moment creates. ...

This place really is beautiful, especially when the air clears.

"Some days, tying that knot weaves past and present." — Michael Dean Clark (@mdeanclark.bsky.social), EHP Issue Thirteen www.emptyhousepress.com/issue-thirte...

One of the best editing processes I’ve ever experienced as a writer came working with Empty House and it shows in the essay they published. Get your subs in, people!

Been meaning to post this Christmas gift my daughter got me: my own Funko Pop! Now, when students ask me tough questions during office hours, I’m just going to have them consult this guy.

In case you missed it, new work out from me. On neck ties and grief observed in small things that weren’t so small.

New essay out today: it took me almost four months to write anything after my father died. This flash piece about the way he’s still here in every tie I knot is what came of that first time back at the keyboard. So grateful to Cara and Erin @emptyhousepress.bsky.social for giving it a home.

✨ISSUE THIRTEEN IS HERE!✨ NONFICTION by @mdeanclark.bsky.social POETRY by Kevin Chesser, Barbara Duffey, Tess Jolly, Hope Levy, @katiemoino.bsky.social, Carolyn Oulton, Jennifer M Phillips, Karen Sherk Chio, Jun Ying Wen, and Meg Yardley www.emptyhousepress.com

"At our core, we are devoted to learning. Specifically, we want to learn how to extract as much value as possible from everyone and everything we interact with." #McSweeneysTop24of24

At the end of a 14-hour day. Stick a fork in the fall semester…and me…

When I say I love being a writing professor, what I mean is: how awesome is it that my day started 13 hours ago, I’ve been ultra productive, and my pile feels…unchanged? The freedom to choose which seven days a week I’ll work, indeed!

Finding people here has been so nice.

If you see this, post a concert photo you took.

A day in the life: Rejection letter for one story and a Pushcart nomination for another. Talk about highs and lows! Huge thanks to the folks at The Meadow for nominating my piece “Small Business.”

All semester I’ve been treating my students to Friar Fridays (which, in LA, has been met with mixed reviews). Today seems like a good day to rep the classics in the lead up to tonight’s game. Let’s go!!! #friarfaithful

First time in a long time (because I haven’t put in for one in a few years): got an #AWP25 panel approval today. Who’s joining me in the City of Angels?