Where the Mind Sprocket staff writes about inspiration, communication, culture, storytelling, and more.

The Back Page is where the feet go up on the desk at the end of the day. It’s that good book with a mug of hot cocoa just before bed. It’s where we goof off after a hard day’s work. The Back Page is our blog.

All posts filed in Thoughts

Wonder

by Jacqueline Johnson on July 21, 2008

On a walk through the city this past weekend, I stopped in the park to see if I could catch some photos and maybe even a few thoughts in my notebook.
I happened upon two birds, who kept following each other incessantly. Either they were best friends, or one was male, the other female, and […]

Rush Hour Observation

by Lindsey Anderson on July 15, 2008

So I was sitting in morning rush hour traffic, waiting to make a left hand turn. Though I deal with it daily and should be used to it, I still marvel at the volume of cars on the road in the morning and evening.
But while I was sitting in my left hand turning lane, I […]

Who is a writer?

by Jacqueline Johnson on July 14, 2008

    When is a writer legitimately a writer?  When do others look at her and identify her as such?  Is having the title, “writer,” a dream people hold fast to as small children, or is the responsibility to write thrust upon them without choice?  What makes a writer, well, a writer?  There have to be […]

Thinking Late at Night

by Lindsey Anderson on July 9, 2008

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.- Psalm 31:24
What do you put you hope in?

Saturdays are for enjoyment

by Jacqueline Johnson on July 7, 2008

I had a whole Saturday afternoon to myself this past weekend. I took  a stroll down to Barnes & Noble and spent the afternoon sipping coffee and words.  While there, I was just getting comfortable into noticing only the voices of the books, not necessarily the voices of people in the store.
Eventually, I settled into […]

Adapting when plans go awry.

by Jacqueline Johnson on June 30, 2008

Our culture has become efficient at planning out our lives, sometimes to the finest detail. People who don’t have five and ten-year plans are considered irresponsible.
So when plans change for reasons out of our control, we fall harder. We become less flexible, and less willing to accept things that require us to deviate […]

“Life is not a submarine.”

by Lindsey Anderson on June 26, 2008

“All you can give us is what life is about from your point of view. You are not going to be able to give us the plans to the submarine. Life is not a submarine. There are no plans.”

This is from Anne Lamott’s chapter on plot in her book “Bird By Bird”.
Straightforward, clever, and intelligent, […]

Something tangible

by Jacqueline Johnson on June 25, 2008

Some people predict that one day, all books and periodicals will take to digital form.
I sincerely hope books remain tangible–something where the pages still turn or something that I can highlight for future reference.
Why?
I love holding a book in my hands. I don’t want to stare into a screen. Not only is it about my […]

To do anything else is to waste it all

by Edward Atkinson on June 18, 2008

The object isn’t to be perfect. The goal isn’t to hold back until you’ve created something beyond reproach. I believe the opposite is true. Our birthright is to fail and to fail often, but to fail in search of something bigger than we can imagine. To do anything else is to waste it all.
- Seth […]

Sometimes the truth is

by Edward Atkinson on June 16, 2008

Sometimes the truth is
Not what you want it to be.
Is it ever what you expected?
No, probably not.
Are you okay with that?
Are we meant to create truth or
Are we meant to find it?

Sometimes the truth is
Not what you want it to be.
Is it ever what you expected?
No, probably not.
Are you okay with that?
Are we meant to create truth or
Are we meant to find it?

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