This has been one of those days. Up by 6 am to meet a student at 6:30 down in my den for 6 hours of work to finish her Senior Honors Thesis for her Bachelor’s degree in Gender Studies. I have learned a lot about the history and current status of reproductive rights for women…
Category: Flash essay
Saying Goodbye to One of My Graduating Seniors
I just had my last session with a boy with whom I have worked since he was in middle school. He is graduating from high school in just a few weeks and going off to college. He will be going to school locally so it is highly likely that we will continue to work together…
First Painting Class Ever at the Barnsdall Art Center
Liz, Ray and I went to our art classes tonight at the Barnsdall Art Center in Hollywood. Ray is back in ceramics class and Liz and I are taking acrylic painting. This is quite a stretch for me since I have never painted anything in my life beyond elementary school art class where I don’t…
Last Days of My “Writing Short” Class
10:22 pm. I have been working on the final critiques and line editing for my Story Circle Network “Writing Short” class, which is on writing Flash Fiction and Flash Memoir. The class officially ends on Monday. I had the special treat of meeting three of my students in this class at the Stories of the Heart conference…
Eli Aminpour: Heading to Stanford for a Summer Research Fellowship
I am very pleased to announce that my writing student Eli Aminpour has been awarded the highly competitive Dr. Michael P. Fischbein Fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery Research at Stanford University. Eli, a Beverly Hills High School junior, will head to Stanford for 8 weeks this summer to learn research techniques and conduct research projects in…
When Life Presses In
I have been playing catch up all evening, communicating with the Story Circle Network online teachers about the upcoming term and responding to reading comments and writing submissions from my current online flash fiction/flash memoir class. This week has been a whirlwind of activity centered around students, family and church. I had two solid days…
Wednesday Evening Ramblings
I am sitting here at 7:35 pm. My last student left an hour ago; my first one arrived at 9 am and I have had back-to-back two-hour sessions all day. I am grateful for the work. There was a time during the recession when my student numbers went to half. That’s when I came to…
My Austin Family
I have been up since early morning so this is going to be a short entry. I am here at my Cousin Lee’s house in Austin, all settled in for the night. We had a wonderful family dinner together tonight at the home of my nieces, Leslie and Hayley. I saw six of my nieces,…
Heading to Austin!
I am heading off to Austin tomorrow morning to take part in the Story Circle Network Stories from the Heart writing conference which begins on Friday. I will also have the good fortune to see lots of family while I am in town since my relatives there have graciously agreed to meet for dinner on…
A Doggie Problem: Advice Appreciated
My dogs are here in the den with me. Frankie on the stool at my feet and Cordelia on the couch across the room. She was giving me a long look just a minute ago but now has tucked her head and gone to sleep. Tough life these two have. We are having a disturbing…
20 Minutes a Day 