Several years ago, when I was first dipping my toes into fiction, I took a children’s writing course in which I wrote a proposal for a young adult novel. The protagonist was a teenager coping with lots of family drama on the home front. Her mother was obsessed with her other daughter’s burgeoning acting career…
Read MoreWith three deaths in the family over the past few months, not to mention holiday visits with family, my regular writing schedule has unquestionably taken a hit. There have been days and even weeks of interruptions. Each time, as I’ve gotten back to my writing, I’ve noticed a definite pattern: Paralyzing fear about starting back…
Read MoreA couple of years ago, I was honored to be chosen as a participating artist in SWAN (Support Women Artists Now) Day, an annual international celebration of “women’s creativity and gender parity activism” held on the fourth Saturday in March. Louisville’s celebration began in 2008, thanks to the dedication and commitment of playwright Nancy Gall-Clayton…
Read MoreThe other day, I was sitting in a writer’s group getting some feedback on my latest work. A fellow writer turned to me and asked, “Are you always writing about people in the arts?” I realized the answer was “yes.” It wasn’t as though I decided that I was going to make a career out…
Read MoreI’m starting to think it’s dangerous for me to write glowing blogs. No sooner has the ink dried on the page than I feel like retracting whatever I’ve just written. Take my blog in December about “Why I Love the Holidays.” A few days after I posted it, my mom died. Suddenly, in the midst…
Read MoreLast week, I was thrilled to sign a contract for my third novel, a coming of age romantic mystery. Leisha’s Song is scheduled for publication early next year. Leisha’s story is a project close to my heart, and I wish I could say that the process of finding a publishing home for it was a…
Read MoreI don ‘t often speak publicly about my faith journey. But recently, my Unitarian Church began including a new component in our Sunday services called “Sharing Our Stories” where we speak about how we found our way to Unitarianism and what it’s meant to us. Recently, it was my turn to speak. The comments below…
Read MoreMy son went back to work this past week at the inner city high school where he teaches. When he handed in the requested form indicating that he planned to return the following year, his principal was effusive. “He got really excited, Mom,” my son told me. “It feels good to be wanted.” It…
Read MoreThere’s definitely something about losing the remaining senior generation of your family. In the last five months, my husband and I lost his mother, his grandmother, and my mother. Coping with a trifecta of grief and loss has been tough, but it’s also made me do a lot of reflecting. With the time I have…
Read More