Sunday nights, ping-pong, no politics. For months we kept the rally going. Then seven words ended the game—and the friendship.

A Calgary radio host read my L.A. Times essay in her kitchen on a Sunday morning and invited me onto her show for a 14-minute conversation about ping-pong, love, and deportation.

Writing with full attention transforms both the page and the writer. This UCLA talk reveals how presence cuts through mental fog—how noticing what you see and feel provides the insights, details, and fresh perspective that make writing come alive.

Where do you begin? Who are you to write this book?
This talk addresses the doubts that paralyze writers and offers a clear-eyed look at today’s publishing paths.