In May 2014, two months before Dad died, my parents joined me as I presented a talk at OHSU on behalf of Oregon's Safety Break for our Institute's science seminar. It was a day to advocate for workplace safety, and I created a slide deck with images purchased from John Klatt, founder of Old Oregon … Continue reading Grieving the Loss, Embracing the Launch: My Parents’ Impact on My Writing
Hawaiian women pack pineapple into cans, November 20, 1928. View in National Archives Catalog When I began graduate school in 1984 at the University of Washington School of Public Health, I thought I wanted to work in water quality. Yet that first quarter (Tony Horstman and Mike Morgan's) industrial hygiene class opened my eyes. I learned … Continue reading The Fight for Workers’ Rights: A Labor Day Reflection meets “A Map of Her Own”
I'm excited to be in conversation next Friday evening with my friends Maura Doherty and Kirk Charlton at Bold Coffee and Books. What a perfect venue to be in conversation about the topic of recovery and creativity. We hope you'll join us. Four years ago, I posted the blog "My Life and Alcohol." It begins … Continue reading Exploring Recovery, Creativity, and the Stories We Share
I hope you had a chance to read my previous blog about Alaska. I didn’t think I’d write again about our trip, but decided to share a few recommendations and takeaways for friends planning a similar trip. The best advice we received from my Alaskan cousin was to give ourselves time to explore. Alaska is … Continue reading Exploring Alaska: Must-Do Activities and Itinerary
Sometimes I start a blog and think it’s going to be one thing; yet my brain spins it in another direction. Or I morph several things into my original idea. Yes, this is one of those. As Russ and I stared out our airplane window into the glaciers, peaks and water below, memories flooded back … Continue reading A View From Before, Above and Now: Hello Alaska
I have struggled ethically in having my books distributed via Amazon. I recently found myself thinking through this yet again as I released the audiobook version of My Music Man. Having dedicated myself for forty years to advocate for healthy and safe work for all workers, yes, it feels a bit self-serving... After all, again … Continue reading Supporting Independent Bookstores Over Amazon
Until last year, listening to audiobooks was something I rarely did except when on a long drive. I would have to backtrack or rewind many times as my mind drifted to one thought or another. Once on a trip to Missoula, Russ and I listened to Invasion of the Body Snatchers enroute, and a collection … Continue reading Embracing Audiobooks: A Journey of Discovery
Just hanging out in my closet, reading to myself. Yes, for some time I've wanted to narrate an audiobook version of My Music Man. Several of the first readers of this book, when it was released in 2017, told me it felt like they had been in conversation with me while they read. Others asked … Continue reading Releasing My Music Man, the Audiobook!
In 1864 my third great grandparents were sent the land deed for their Oregon property. All 640 acres, officially divided between Chloe Clark Willson and William Holden Willson at today's Salem's State Street. William died in 1856, and never saw the official document signed by President Abraham Lincoln. Although I've written about this here and … Continue reading Land Ownership: From Land Claims to High Water Marks
Maybe there’s a pattern or maybe it’s happenstance. After I published my first memoir, I felt for the first time in adulthood that I could write a novel. Allowing myself to tell my own story in My Music Man, fed by memories of my past and stories lived by others, invited my brain to be … Continue reading A Map of Her Own: Navigating Dual Timelines in Fiction
Dede's Books and blog 