Posts by Lynn Slaughter
Celebrating Great Dads
Someone once told me, “A lousy childhood needn’t sentence you to a miserable life.” As a corollary, I’d say that having a less than an optimal relationship with your father doesn’t mean you can’t be a great father for your own kids. My older son’s dad had a father who adored his…
Read MoreReflections on My College Experience and Beyond
With a big college reunion coming up, we alums were asked to write an essay reflecting on our lives and college experience– really made me think about who I was as a college student and the directions my life took. Here’s what I wrote: Other than my summers teaching at Interlochen, I don’t think I’ve…
Read MoreAntidotes to Making Yourself Miserable as a Writer
Last week, I wrote about ways to make yourself miserable as a writer and received some excellent additions to my list from two author friends, Katie Kenyhercz and Patti Kurtz. I’m including their suggestions on my updated list: Spend hours each day lurking on social media and reading about the sweet publishing deals your…
Read MoreSix Surefire Ways to Make Yourself Miserable as a Writer
In honor of one of my all-time favorite books, Dan Greenburg’s How to Make Yourself Miserable, I offer these six surefire ways to torture yourself as a writer and insure continuous misery: Spend hours each day lurking on social media and reading about the sweet publishing deals your writer friends have gotten while you count…
Read MoreAsk an Author! Inquiring Minds Want to Know
One of the things I hadn’t fully anticipated about becoming a novelist is the frequency with which folks ask me questions—not only about the work itself, but about where I get my ideas, what my writing process is like, and what a typical writing day is like. This past week, I learned I would be…
Read MoreFeeling Thankful
I’ve been having one of those weeks where I felt like yelling out, “Bah, Humbug!” every five minutes. I’d broken out in some horrible itchy rash that hadn’t responded to the steroid meds the doctor assured me would kick in immediately. Not only do I look like crap, but I feel like total crap! Meantime,…
Read MoreOur Cat Lucy: A Member of the Family
Years ago when I was in grad school in sociology, I remember an article appeared in The Journal of Marriage and Family which pointed out that researchers were ignoring a major role player in family dynamics if they didn’t consider the family pet. At the time, that struck me as funny. But I also knew…
Read MoreThinking about Endings, Beginnings, and Balancing Twin Passions
I know January 1st is supposed to be the beginning of a new year, but as a long-time teacher, my year has always started when school begins in the late summer or fall and ends when school gets out. As the end of the semester draws close, I have my usual set…
Read MoreSometimes You Just Have to Ask
Folks often don’t believe me when I tell them I’m an introvert. After all, I’m a lively pistol of a teacher. I love to laugh, and I’m a good listener and empathetic friend. But like all introverts, I need my alone time to fill up my tank. This is a handy quality to have for…
Read MoreComfort Television
At least for the moment, I’ve O-D’ed on my obsessive binging on early morning political talk shows. Starting each day getting more and more anxious about the state of the world and our national politics wasn’t doing wonders for my blood pressure. So now, when I jump on my exercise bike and start pedaling, I…
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