The Thankful Season
When our children were growing up, we used to pass a candle around the table at our Sunday evening suppers and take turns saying what we were thankful for. Our younger son announced one night, “Let me start with my unthankfuls.” This became part of our family lore and whenever one of us had a…
Read MoreBetter Late Than Never
During my years as a dancer, we never went on stage for a performance before we’d had at least one technical rehearsal followed by a final dress. I was really missing those days on Thursday when my IG Live presentation for Page Street in celebration of NaNo (National Writing Novel Month) didn’t occur at its…
Read MoreSome Days I Wish I Could Resign From Being White
Recently, I made the difficult decision to leave a church I’d been devoted to. It became apparent that there was such a gaping disparity between what the church claimed it stood for—social justice, compassion, and love– and how they actually treated their staff and members that I realized I could no longer in good conscience…
Read MoreComplacency Is Not the Problem
It’s three days before the election, and those of us hoping for a change in the presidency are constantly being admonished not to be complacent. Above all, we’re told, we absolutely must vote and not take anything for granted. Of course, I agree and have already double-checked that my absentee ballot was received and recorded.…
Read MoreChasing the Pandemic Blues Away: Celebrating a Good Week
Just when I was about to slide into one of my “My life has been cancelled and I miss my grandkids” breakdowns, some lovely things happened this week. First off, I typed “THE END” on the first draft of my fifth novel, tentatively called Missed Clue. It needs tons of work. But, as I learned…
Read MoreMy Music Fix: Navigating the Ups and Downs of Life During Co-Vid
In some ways, this was a good week. It was exciting to open a package containing copies of Malice Domestic’s 2020 anthology, Murder Most Theatrical, in which my short story, “Missed Cue,” appears. I was also able to push ahead on my work-in-progress, writing several thousand words as I near the novel’s climax. But it…
Read MoreOn Edge
I admit it. With the election looming less than a month away and this global pandemic showing no signs of magically disappearing anytime soon, I’m on edge. Every time I see folks in the grocery store ignoring the “mask required” signs prominently displayed, I want to scream. But what good would that do? These folks…
Read MoreWriting Outside Your Identity Group: Some Dos and Don’ts
In my last blog, I talked about my strong feelings about supporting and encouraging marginalized writers to share their stories, as well as my commitment as a white author to write books in which all young people can see themselves represented and affirmed. A great resource is the nonprofit advocacy group, We Need Diverse Books…
Read MoreWriting Updates and Reflections on Writing Outside Your Identity Group
I’m excited to share that at long last, Malice Domestic’s anthology, Murder Most Theatrical, is available for pre-order from Wildside Press and will officially come out on October 1st. My short story, “Missed Cue,” appears in the anthology, and its setting in a dance company reflects my love of the dance world I spent decades…
Read MoreShe Wasn’t Only Brilliant, But She Was a Lot Nicer Than I Am
Like so many in America and around the world today, I mourn the death of a genuine hero, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose decades as an attorney and Supreme Court Justice advanced human rights for everyone, most especially women. I recall reading that she was always amused by the frequent question from children visiting her at…
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