Yesterday, I went to Buena Vet in Ventura on Main Street, where I brought Cordelia, our 15-year-old corgi, with a clear expectation that the vet would tell me that she needed to be put down. Ray, who is in Texas, and I have been in constant communication about sweet Cordie, whose health has been spiraling…
Tag: Writing
The Ides of March and a Brother Remembered
I have posted this story about my brother John before, but tomorrow is his birthday, and this story speaks so vividly to me of my deep love for him. For that reason, I am sharing it again since this time of year, John is very much on my mind. Could That Be My Brother? I…
For a Belated International Women’s Day: In Praise of Women
I have had the good fortune to know a myriad of strong women in my life, starting with my grandmother and mother, who were forces in their own right, to my mother’s partner, Dorothy; my sister, Leslie; my three powerful and opinionated daughters, Sarah, Liz, and Rachael; my oldest grandchild, Luna, who is the walking…
Happy Birthday, Andrew!
Today is my son-in-law Andrew’s birthday, and while he and Rachael may be quietly celebrating, I suspect they both think the best present ever would be the safe and easy birth of their little son Milo, who is due at any time. I doubt Milo will share his daddy’s birthday, however. That would require a…
Flash Fiction: Somebody’s Girlfriend
I was sixteen when it happened. I didn’t mean to do it, but the police didn’t believe that. Actually, nobody believed me, since I had been bragging earlier that week that if Josh bothered me again, I was going to smack him upside the head. I was talking to a bunch of girls, swaggering around…
Outsiders Who Refuse Silence
I am sitting in a quiet room, having just said goodnight to my student after spending several hours today on the telephone with her researching and writing about two Cuban poets, Heberto Padilla and Nicolás Guillén. We share a Google Doc as we develop a term paper on these two men who became known not…
Duolingo and the Ghost of My Italian Past
This evening, for the first time ever, I went to the free website Duolingo and practiced my very rusty Italian. By rusty, I mean back in the junkyard where the 1970s AMC Gremlins might be piled, since the last time I took Italian lessons and actually practiced the language was back in 1975–76, when my…
Sit Down and Do the Work: Steinbeck’s Advice to Writers
A few years back, I worked with a student on The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. We read the final few pages together, which are some of the most touching in the entire book. Just in case you still plan to read this exceptional novel, I won’t give away the ending. But I can…
The Tips I Needed to Read Tonight
I found the following list in an old 2013 writing file tonight. I apologize to the author. I did not write down your name, website address, or any identifying information. I tried typing in the title “11 Tips for Creativity” and found several articles, but none contained this content. I’m so sorry. I will be…
The Trickster in Stories and Life
I’ve been thinking lately about tricksters in literature since I’ve been working on a new novel. As I sketch characters and test their motives, the trickster keeps slipping onto the page. According to Christopher Vogler’s book The Writer’s Journey, a trickster “embodies the energies of mischief and desire for change.” That desire for change is…
20 Minutes a Day 