Losing a Hero
Our nation grieves the loss of a genuine hero today. Last night, John Lewis, a titan of the civil rights movement, passed away from pancreatic liver cancer at the age of eighty. What I loved about him was his genuine dedication to living his values and his willingness to put his own life on the…
Read MoreConfessions of an Anxious Ex-Dancer Turned Writer
When I look back at my years as a professional dancer, I remember so much joy, and a lot of struggle. I was never the most talented, the most flexible, or the quickest learner. And yet, I was known as a strong performer—musical and expressive. You’d think that years of being referred to as “that…
Read MoreFulfilling Our Promise and Our Ideals
It feels a bit strange to celebrate July 4th this year, and not just because our celebrations are muted by a global pandemic. We remain so far from the ideals and principles upon which our nation was founded. When Thomas Jefferson wrote that “We hold these truths to be self-evident. That all men are created…
Read MoreSometimes Folks Have to Know Where You Stand
My amazing husband has created his own volunteer job in retirement. Every morning, he visits the large recycle dumpsters near our local fire station and retrieves aluminum cans to donate to the firefighters for their fund to aid needy children. Over time, he’s enlarged his job to include retrieving items that are not supposed to…
Read MoreFather’s Day: One Writer’s Reflections
Video of Milo bikeriding Spring 2020 When my husband Alan and I were dating, he spent at least as much time courting Ed, my five year old, as he did building a relationship with me. He devoted hours on end to doing artwork with my little boy, not to mention running beside him as he…
Read MoreWorking Writers: A Supportive Community
Unable to sleep last night, I got up and watched a rerun of an old Murder She Wrote episode. After six best-sellers, the protagonist Jessica is being heralded as the new “Queen of Mystery,” and the old mystery-writing queen doesn’t like it. She travels to Cabot Cove, Maine to steal Jessica’s latest work-in-progress and attempt…
Read MoreIn the Midst of Heartbreak: Things That Give Me Hope
I did not know whether I could write a blog this week. Between the heartbreaking news that we have lost more than 100,000 of our citizens to this deadly global virus and the senseless and brutal murder of George Floyd, it’s been tough for me to focus. And I know I’m not alone. Adding…
Read MoreToward Hope and Justice: It’s Up to All of Us
My son called me early yesterday morning. “Did you see the video?” he asked. I didn’t have to ask what video he meant. The appalling video of George Floyd, an unarmed black man being ruthlessly murdered by four policemen in Minneapolis, has played over and over on television for days. His name was added to…
Read More“The Only Raisin in the Bunch”
I called a dear friend the other day who recently relocated to Iowa to return to school. She lives alone and I wondered how she was faring sheltering in place in a new town. “I’m doing great,” she told me. “I’m working my way through a pile of books I never had time to read,…
Read MoreEvery Time I Start to Feel Judgmental…
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of writing activity for me. Having my life more or less canceled meant that I suddenly had lots more time to work on my writing. I finished up the first draft of a new YA novel, followed by taking an intensive three-week online writing class taught by…
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