The stories in Taming the Blank, a short collection of James Bernard’s writings compiled by close friends and teachers at Bard College, can be read both as a window into Jamie’s progression as a writer as well as for their humor, insight, and total originality. The collection includes “Daniil Platonovich”, James’ senior project and very much a work in progress that offers insights into his writing process, perfectionism, and love of Russian literature; “Taming the Blank,” a series of tutorial writings conducted under Professor Cole Heinowitz that depict his overactive imagination wrestling with itself as well as the immovable ten minute writing exercise deadline; and earlier writings from his high school years in which his interests and temperament truly begin to reveal themselves.