Dec 4, 2022Learning from the greats: James BaldwinOne thing about returning to the page after a very long absence is the stark reminder that I know exactly nothing. Well, that’s not exactly true. …3 min read3 min read
Oct 17, 2022Getting back into the practiceThere’s a saying in yoga or, at least, among yogis — the mat is always there for you. What this means is that it doesn’t matter how long it has been since your last practice, you can always unroll your mat and go through the poses and learn what you…2 min read2 min read
Jul 29, 2022A Reading List for the short story loversSo, I’m not President Obama, and my reading and music lists are not anticipated, but I have been doing my own reading this summer. I am redesigning one of my classes to focus on short fiction. This is something I just focus on during the summer, but I really enjoy…Reading3 min readReading3 min read
Jul 25, 2022Revision is another way to say I’m a writerI have a confession: I was not a fan of revising my work. That’s not to say I don’t do it. I do. Any writer, regardless of experience level, needs revision. As one of my writing advisors said — the novel begins in revision. I was not a fan of…Writing4 min readWriting4 min read
Jun 19, 2022Writing technique: Reading “The Other Side of Death” by Gabriel Garcia MarquezOne of the best ideas I had this summer was to dedicate significant time to reading short stories. There, of course, was an underlining reason for this — choosing new stories to teach to my students. But the better reason was to return to the world of writing fiction after…Writing4 min readWriting4 min read
May 28, 2022Feeling overwhelmed? Escape.A storm was raging outside. Floodwaters crawled closer to my front door, and the rain didn’t stop, even to take a breath. The screeching gray clouds rumbled and spun and threatened to do so forever. But instead of getting ready to evacuate during Hurricane Harvey, all I wanted to do…Mental Health5 min readMental Health5 min read
Jan 19, 2022The Revision Process: Up close and personalRevision is not editing. Not even close. It took me years to get comfortable with the revision process of writing. And then it took me a bit more time after that to appreciate it as its own practice and art. I remembered this when I talked to a friend of…Writing Tips7 min readWriting Tips7 min read
Jan 17, 2022What is Self-care 2.0, and how do you make it meaningful?I was never one for self-care. At least not the way it was defined by popular culture. True, it’s nice to do nice things for yourself like nail polish, a new hair-do, and a bubble bath but, aside from the bath, it all seemed like upkeep. Nail polish fades and…Self Care5 min readSelf Care5 min read
Jan 14, 2022#10 year challenge and what are you really celebratingLet’s keep some perspective here I can tell you who and where I was ten years ago. I was a miserable person who was trying to keep it together and failing at it, though I didn’t know it at the time. 2012 I had started adjuncting as an English professor…Self-awareness3 min readSelf-awareness3 min read
Jan 12, 2022Writing and healing: Prompts to get you going for the yearThere is a close correlation between writing and healing. Let’s get writing What’s the best thing to do when you’re in pain? In my experience food was always my go to to help sooth the pain. But there is an issue with using food as a crutch, almost a narcotic…Self Care3 min readSelf Care3 min read
