After quiet time yesterday, Katie found me scribbling in a notebook. With thoughts of the upcoming election rattling around in my head, inspired, somewhat, by responses to my last post, and goaded by an assignment I’d recently given to my students, I was eking out a sonnet. “Mama,” she said as she wedged herself into … Continue reading "We Break Things: In Which I Make Myself a Liar. Perhaps."
Read MoreCategory: Writing
On Poetry and Politics
This fall, I’m teaching Creative Writing to a couple of high school students. During our introductory class on poetry, one of the girls asked me to share some of my poems with them. I told her I didn’t write much poetry. She asked me why not, and my mind stuttered on the question. Why not, … Continue reading "On Poetry and Politics"
Read MoreThis is a Season
I wrote this post last year, in March of 2019. (It was near the top of the “Your Recent Drafts” section of WordPress, which tells you how often I even attempted to blog in the past twelve months.) I’m not sure why I never published it, except that maybe I was lost in the newborn … Continue reading "This is a Season"
Read MoreHold My Baby, I'm Busy Being a Doctor
I was about to step into the shower a few days back when Abby rushed into the room, a dress-up lab coat askew across her back, a doll dangling from her hand. “Mama, can you hold my baby?” she asked. “She’s sad and she wants someone to hold her, and I’m busy being a doctor.” … Continue reading "Hold My Baby, I'm Busy Being a Doctor"
Read MoreHoping for Rain
“Can I wear my boots, Mama, just in case it rains?” I peek out the window at the clear blue sky, at the warmth of a perfect fall day. I turn to her, about to tell her that there won’t be rain today, but as I look at her upturned face, her expectant grin, her … Continue reading "Hoping for Rain"
Read MorePHFR – On Writing a Novel (Or Not, As the Case May Be)
~Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life, as inspired by the women at Like Mother, Like Daughter~ {Pretty} I know, I know. It seems all I ever do is post photos of the sky, especially this time of year. But we get such lovely sunsets and sunrises around here. I’m grateful for their fleeting beauty, … Continue reading "PHFR – On Writing a Novel (Or Not, As the Case May Be)"
Read MoreFacing Grief During the Holidays
It’s that time of year. The time of tinsel and trees, of gifts and carols and cookies. The time of holidays, of jolly old elves and traveling wise men and baby Jesus in the manger. It’s the time when we gather with those we love. It’s the time when everyone celebrates, when everyone is filled … Continue reading "Facing Grief During the Holidays"
Read More{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real} – and an Update About Writing
~Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life, as inspired by the women at Like Mother, Like Daughter~ First, the update promised by the title, and then on to the regularly-scheduled {phfr} post: For the past few months, I’ve been telling myself it’s time to get back to writing. I had a good habit going this … Continue reading "{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real} – and an Update About Writing"
Read MoreNarrating Her World
When she’s in the right mood, and with the right people – both important qualifiers for this girl of mine – Katie is quite the storyteller. There’s no telling when a story might come: it might be in the car as we run errands, it might come over lunch, it might show up in the … Continue reading "Narrating Her World"
Read MoreAn Explanation, of Sorts, For My Long Silence
Late in 2016, an idea for a fictional world falls into my lap, seemingly out of nowhere. I am bitten, hard, by the writing bug. I have a small cohort of fiction dreamers, five other women who write lovely words and offer lovely critiques and are, themselves, lovely. We share our work at the beginning … Continue reading "An Explanation, of Sorts, For My Long Silence"
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