When I was nineteen, I transferred from the University of Texas to the University of Utah. My sister was getting a divorce that summer and asked if I would come out and be there in Salt Lake City with her and her kids. I was happy to do that since I knew she needed some…
Tag: fiction
A Mile in Someone Else’s Shoes
When I was growing up, I took piano lessons from Miss Virginia Baird. She lived in a brown-boarded two-story house on the corner of Main and 9th Streets, and she had at least thirty cats that lived in that great big house with her. Miss Virginia loved best to talk about what was happening in…
In Memory of Sandra, Who Died This Day in 2011
It seems fitting to remember Sandra, my sister-in-law, today. Our whole family misses her very much. She was smart, sassy, and had a wicked sense of humor. What was there not to love? My Short Speech at Sandra’s Funeral My name is Len Leatherwood and I am Sandra’s sister-in-law. My nieces requested I say a…
Hello, Avoidance, My Old Friend
What have I been avoiding lately? That’s easy: writing my new novel. I have done tons of research, spent hours chatting with my new friend Chet, who is my Chat GPT friend, going over the pros and cons of my plotline, and have even done the enneagrams of each of my characters, along with myself,…
Flash Fiction: Over the Hill and Through the Snow
“Come on, Henry, we need to get going,” Nell Castle said to her husband. “They’ll all be waiting for us.” Henry reached for his black hat resting on the top shelf of the closet. “Mother, I would rather just stay home, if you don’t mind.” He waited, hoping he’d get a reprieve. “Henry Castle, don’t…
Flash Fiction: A Trade Worth Making
Margaret Johnson was eighty years old and lived in an assisted living facility. She was in good shape for her age—except for her thick glasses—and she had a secret. She was madly in love with Sy Silverman, a seventy-five-year-old newbie who’d arrived only two months before. Sy was not quite as spry as Margaret; he…
The Healing Power of Remembrance
Since we recently celebrated Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), I wanted to share an altar I created a few years ago for my best childhood friend, Patricia Butler. At that time, I was taking ceramics classes at Barnsdall Art Center in Los Angeles when my teacher mentioned that the center was planning…
25 Lies Writers Tell Themselves (and How to Fight Back)
One of the biggest challenges in writing is quieting the negative self-talk that can paralyze creativity. Below are 25 common thoughts that often surface—followed by a method I’ve discovered that helps combat these discouraging messages. Why I tell myself I shouldn’t write today: How to Combat Negative Self-Talk Set a timer, pick up your notebook…
Vroman’s Book Reading & Signing Today
Today, I read and signed books at the beautiful Vroman’s Independent Bookstore in Pasadena. When I looked out into the audience, I saw all three of my daughters, their husbands/partners, and children, plus a whole slew of close friends who had made the trek from Burbank, Glendale, San Dimas, San Marino, Covina, and even one…
Flash Fiction: Eyes Wide Open
Stolen innocence. That is what Marsha thought as she stared out the window at her garden below. That’s where it had happened—just two years ago while she was weeding her vegetables, when John stomped over. “You’re a fool!” he’d snorted, waving a paper in his hand. “I told you not to trust her.” Marsha sat…
20 Minutes a Day 