For the first time since I was in graduate school, I have no job, nor am I between jobs. Yes, forty years of knowing what work was or where the pay check would come from. My only breaks were maternity leaves, six weeks after a devastating car accident, and the usual vacations. And honestly, maybe … Continue reading Intersecting and aligning
Writing
Dear Mom: We did it!
Hey Mom; we did it. I want to believe that some part of you felt the energy too. I did dream about you last night, but without reference to our book. I'll keep waiting. If you had been with us in person, I'm certain you too would deem the events to be complete and heartfelt. … Continue reading Dear Mom: We did it!
Bursting ahead
Perhaps even more than trillium, the bursting forth of pungent skunk cabbage illicit yearnings of spring for me. Even though we often spy them when we still feel nearly in the heart of winter. My upcoming memoir too feels as if it is nearly bursting out. In posting this 284th blog since my first in … Continue reading Bursting ahead
Dede, take a breath
In response to an email I'd sent to my publisher, I received a reply beginning with "Take a breath" followed by a smile emoji. It made me laugh. You who know me well are probably smiling too. Yes, I admit, sometimes I have a tendency to get a bit keyed up in enthusiasm and excitement. … Continue reading Dede, take a breath
What is Place?
I feel Place in my soul. The power of Place in my writing is almost impossible to explain. Writers combine place with time and events to “show not tell” more than a description: who or what is in this place, why are they there, how do they relate to what is happening in that moment … Continue reading What is Place?
We are about stories
I stayed up late the other night finishing Birgitta Hjalmarson's Fylgia, a story based in Sweden and published by the same press as my memoir, Bedazzled Ink. I mistakenly drank caffeinated coffee at 4:30 pm, and decided to make good use of any anticipated insomnia. I would have finished the novel, without caffeine. And I am … Continue reading We are about stories