Finding writing inspiration this summer

Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.” —Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty I love magazines, but I tend to hoard stacks and stacks of them until, even for me, it’s too much, and I force myself to donate or recycle. That happened yesterday, my deep woven basket that holds… Continue reading Finding writing inspiration this summer

the connection of language and food

Before I ever cooked professionally or wrote one word, I had a deep connection to language and food because of my first teacher, my nana. “A writing cook and a cooking writer must be bold at the desk as well as the stove.”― M.F.K. Fisher She was an elementary school teacher and a principal for many… Continue reading the connection of language and food

writing in gratitude

One writing practice I did keep up in the last year was a weekly email to a friend. We had started writing every Sunday as a check-in, accountability email, and understanding the power of gratitude; we always ended each email with a short (3-5 item) gratitude list for that week. If I review the 52… Continue reading writing in gratitude

Submitting experimental writing

Years ago, I posted a link to Bernadette Mayer’s poem Very Strong February. I was first introduced to Mayer’s work at Goddard. My advisor suggested that I include Midwinter Day in my book list. At the time, I was struggling to get through Gertrude Stein’s experimental book, Tender Buttons: Objects, Food, Rooms. The book is… Continue reading Submitting experimental writing

Six “not new ways” to ignite your creativity this year

What does it mean to live more creatively? That’s what I promised myself this year after two years of “checking out” to pursue a graduate certificate in IT Project Management and get my PMP certification. Success on both of those goals! “To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to… Continue reading Six “not new ways” to ignite your creativity this year

Thoughts on Exposition in Creative Writing

“Where questions of style and exposition are concerned I try to follow a simple maxim: if you can’t say it clearly you don’t understand it yourself.” John Searle John stirred the pot of fragrant bubbling chili adding a dash more cocoa powder  and a pinch of his secret weapon. The secret weapon, that he brought home… Continue reading Thoughts on Exposition in Creative Writing