x – y = What Happened to the Squirrel?
In second grade, I was sick a lot. Part of the time, I was faking it, although I did run a low-grade fever that my pediatrician diagnosed as school-itis, telling my mother, “She hates school so much...
View ArticleYes
Last month, Kevin Ashton published the blog post “Creative People Say No,” a post with which I agree wholeheartedly. If you haven’t already read it—or even if you have—I recommend that you read it now....
View ArticleZZZZZZZZZ: A Buzz of Excitement
One month and twenty-six posts later, I’ve made it to Z in the A to Z Blogging Challenge. This isn’t a notable achievement to anyone except me, but I am doing the dance of joy—not because the challenge...
View ArticleDoes Hallmark Make a Card for That?
Hallmark produces so many cards for so many occasions that the company has been accused of concocting holidays for the express purpose of selling cards that celebrate them. Whether the accusation is...
View ArticleSummer Reading
“Summer reading” is one of the most evocative phrases I know, bringing to mind long hours spent in a lounge chair on a deep, shaded front porch, a glass of iced tea nearby, and a tower of books, books,...
View ArticleInvisible Me
Forty-five years ago, I sat on the floor of the den in my mother’s house, watching one of her favorite programs, “Mission: Impossible,” with her. In this particular episode, the character of Cinnamon...
View ArticleA Day Apart
The president and I were born one day apart. Barack Obama’s birthday is August 4, and mine is August 5.The year was 1961, and if you don’t think his election to the presidency is astonishing, consider...
View ArticleThe Librarian
When I was a kid, my mother, like many stalwart Southern women of her generation, had her hair fixed once a week at the beauty shop. Fixed is not an accidental verb. Her beauty operator—they weren’t...
View ArticleRelentless
Every October, as the leaves change, the weather turns cool, and most people start thinking about preparing for the holidays, my people—the writer people—start thinking about NaNoWriMo, National Novel...
View ArticleFuneral for a Friend
Tomorrow, on Halloween, I will attend your memorial service. I wasn’t part of “making the arrangements,” as one inevitably says of planning funerals and memorials. Your family picked the date. I don’t...
View ArticleI Can't Get There from Here
I.Just.Can’t.Do.It. The boyfriend and I agree that we have too much stuff. We don’t need or want any more. At best, conspicuous consumption makes me uncomfortable. At worst, I find it repellant, a...
View ArticleInvisible Me
Forty-five years ago, I sat on the floor of the den in my mother’s house, watching one of her favorite programs, “Mission: Impossible,” with her. In this particular episode, the character of Cinnamon...
View Article10 Reasons to Date a Writer, 10 Reasons to Run Like the Wind
Perhaps it’s one of those things that seems like a good idea at the time. Perhaps you’ve never seen The Shining. But if you’re contemplating a relationship with a writer, you need to know the good and...
View ArticleFishin' for Cancer
I believe in growth and change, kindness and compassion, being mindful, and trying to be a better person. Am I there yet? No. I am not.Nearly six years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Today...
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Craft of Writing Q&A: Susan Erlandson Washburn
We’ve all read the tortured-writer books. We’ve seen the movies. I’m blocked! Someone stole my story! My number-one fan cut off my feet—or broke my ankles, depending on whether you read the book or saw...
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Craft of Writing Q&A: Nikki Stern
Nikki Stern is the author of two published nonfiction books. The first,Because I Say So (Bascom Hill, 2010), details her experiences as a 9/11 widow in the context of our culture’s belief in...
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Craft of Writing Q&A: Martha Grossman
As a writer, I’ve always been struck by the special demands of writing memoir. I agree wholeheartedly with Anne Lamott, who wrote, You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If...
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Craft of Writing Q&A: Anna Snow
No one reads anymore, bookstores are dying, the future of publishing is grim. Shall I go on? I think not. Fear-mongering isn’t confined to politics, and I’d rather not be a part of it. As usual, the...
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Craft of Writing Q&A: Sean Murphy
Once upon a time, I ran a nonprofit art school in Taos, New Mexico. If this sounds like a cushy job, remember that small, underfunded nonprofits operate on a shoestring budget. Consequently, despite...
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Craft of Writing Q&A: Savannah Thorne
In this Craft of Writing Q&A, Savannah Thorne discusses passion, perseverance, and how the practical advice offered by a teacher revolutionized her writing. Savannah received her BA from the...
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