Creative Nonfiction
Out of Tickets to Ride
I squirm at that phantom hand of smoke, a clawed finger beckons toward a carnie operator, keeper of the wheel in plaid knickers, who winks, “you’re next sweetie”. He rolls…
Read MoreOn the Road
Objects at rest will stay at rest and objects in motion will stay in motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. My great grandmother Mary…
Read More5 Tips on Self-Publishing Your Book
For book writers, the publishing process is often a fearful mystery. Self-publishing a book can intensify this mystery, because it can seem like you’re all on your own, with no…
Read MoreWriting for Mindfulness: The Foundations of Mindful Writing
Being present, focusing on images, appreciating goodness: these are the foundations of mindful writing. Writing for mindfulness is a skill that any writer can develop, helping you to sharpen your…
Read MoreThere But For The Grace of God
The phone rings and you don’t know if it’s the phone or the new, beeping pill dispenser your husband bought so he could leave you alone in the house for…
Read MoreTo Magic
Every mother dreams of the day her daughter gets married. She prays it’s to a man that will love her with all his heart. A man who will take on…
Read MoreStick Figures
12Grandmother. Ten years old and I’m kneeling on the carpet next to her. She smells like flowers with English Garden names: peony, jasmine, narcissus; she smells like black and white…
Read MoreLiterary Agents: What They Do and How to Find One
What does a literary agent do? And where do you go about finding a literary agent? When you’re ready to submit a manuscript for publication, you might solicit top literary…
Read MoreProof of Life
There is a tiny person under my roof this morning. She arrived two days ago, and I fussed and worried and sterilized and kept the appropriate social distance, until finally…
Read MoreMy Blessed Boy on the Streets…and my Teacher of all Things Good
Previously Published in U.S. Catholic. A sometimes lonely leftover phone booth stands on a street corner in Portland, Oregon. When a street person feels so inclined, he or she can…
Read More