# Everything Essay! with Andrea A. Firth Each month I share a great essay (always linked), review the art and craft at work, and provide related resources like prompts, writing tips, books, podcasts and more. If you like a true story well told, I think you'll love it here. Page: Feed: --- ## [What a Rock ‘n’ Roll Memoir Taught Me About Writing](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/what-a-rock-n-roll-memoir-taught) _2026-08-26 · Andrea A. Firth_ Cameron Crowe’s memoir, The Uncool, plus a playlist for you and a new gig for me ## [Who's Culpable?](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/whos-culpable) _2026-08-19 · Andrea A. Firth_ What Bruce Holsinger's AI-thriler taught me about suspense and how it got me thinking about AI and creative writing. ## [Finding the Story Beneath the Story](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/finding-the-story-beneath-the-story) _2026-07-22 · Andrea A. Firth_ How A Marriage at Sea transforms an unforgettable adventure into a meditation on marriage--and what writers can learn from that shift. ## [Oh Rats!](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/oh-rats) _2026-07-08 · Andrea A. Firth_ How and why to write about gross things ## [The Sunflower Boys: A Lesson in Structure](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/the-sunflower-boys-a-lesson-in-structure) _2026-06-19 · Andrea A. Firth_ How Sam Wachman used 100 short chapters and a boy's sketches to tell his story ## [Late to the MFA](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/late-to-the-mfa) _2026-06-09 · Andrea A. Firth_ What going to grad school at 50 taught me about writing and belonging ## [At 64, my husband bought me a drying rack](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/at-64-my-husband-bought-me-a-drying) _2026-05-15 · Andrea A. Firth_ He still needs me... ## [The Shape of a Mosaic Memoir](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/the-shape-of-a-mosaic-memoir) _2026-05-12 · Andrea A. Firth_ Brenda Miller’s Love You, Bye and the possibilities of hybrid nonfiction ## [I Tink So, Tank You](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/i-tink-so-tank-you) _2026-04-15 · Andrea A. Firth_ What Brenda MIller's "Typos" reveals about language, craft, and happy mistakes. ## [When I'm 64...](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/when-im-64) _2026-04-08 · Andrea A. Firth_ Thoughts on writing and aging. ## [International money transfers (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/99NBgUlh1BGv) _2026-04-08 · **Sponsored**_ Send money to other countries and manage multi‑currency balances online. ## [Which Came First?](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/which-came-first) _2026-04-03 · Andrea A. Firth_ Two Ways to Take a Deep Dive in Your Writing ## [The Braided Essay](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/the-braided-essay) _2026-03-20 · Andrea A. Firth_ How Ed Park Combines a Blizzard and a Board Game to explore Memory and Meaning ## [Writing the Neighborhood: How a Walk Becomes an Essay](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/writing-the-neighborhood-how-a-walk) _2026-02-26 · Andrea A. Firth_ Turning an everyday moment into an essay begins with attention. ## [How Do You Connect Fragmented Stories?](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/how-do-you-connect-fragmented-stories) _2026-02-18 · Andrea A. Firth_ What I Learned About Mosaic Structure from Daniel Mason’s Northwoods ## [When a Father Bathes a Son](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/when-a-father-bathes-a-son) _2026-02-11 · Andrea A. Firth_ A Scene-based, Flash Essay ## [Prison Talk](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/prison-talk) _2026-02-03 · Andrea A. Firth_ A Book, an Essay and a Short Story ## [The Craft Essay](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/the-craft-essay) _2026-01-19 · Andrea A. Firth_ 7 Myths About Writing Creative Nonfiction By Ratika Deshpande ## [9 Picks from my 2025 Read Pile](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/9-picks-from-my-2025-read-pile) _2026-01-07 · Andrea A. Firth_ You're probably tired of year-end lists by now, but go ahead, take a look! ## [A Braided Recipe Essay](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/a-braided-recipe-essay) _2025-12-03 · Andrea A. Firth_ "Start With Overripe Bananas" by Sara Spurgeon ## [Another Great Flash Essay](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/another-great-flash-essay) _2025-10-07 · Andrea A. Firth_ In Grover Cleveland's Childhood Home by Sari Fordham ## [Earn a referral bonus (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/SUgZFBaGPhqp) _2025-10-07 · **Sponsored**_ Get a bonus when a friend applies via your referral link and is approved. ## [The Micro Essay--300 Words or Less](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/the-micro-essay-300-words-or-less) _2025-09-19 · Andrea A. Firth_ "21 Allen Drive" by Diane Gottlieb ## [Every lighthouse has story ...](https://andreaafirth.substack.com/p/every-lighthouse-has-story) _2025-09-10 · Andrea A. Firth_ 2 books that center around lighthouses