Time flies when you're writing thousands of words every day. It's all because of National Novel Writing Month, a masochistic writing commitment which I've attempted and failed to complete twice before. But this year, I told myself, would be different. This year I would be joining several wonderful friends in…
Writing Exercise: 26 Sentences
One evening this summer, I led my writers' group through several back-to-back short exercises. This was easily the favorite of the night: Create a story that is 26 sentences long. Each sentence must begin with the next letter in the alphabet. For example, the first sentence should begin with A,…
The Last Leaf
Someone must be last. That's the rule. And in my kingdom, this works out fine, because the last shall be first. Yet, this little leaf, now brown and curled around the edges, dampens even my spirits today. Perhaps it is the way it clings so hopefully to the branch. Well,…
An Unnamed Poem
_____________ I am afraid to name her. What if I call it wrong? If my moniker choice resists story, history, or song? Details of breeding and face, habits, regrets, disgrace... These I'll slap on her like travel stickers on a suitcase, but a name? So much weight. So I wait. One…
Publication News! Inspiring Generations: 150 Years, 150 Stories in Yosemite
No matter how far I travel from it, my heart belongs to Yosemite. My husband and I grew up there, fell in love there. That's why I'm so proud and excited to announce that my short essay "We Climb Anyway" will be published this winter as part of a new…
Gone Girl: A Review
If you're planning a transatlantic flight in the near future and are looking for a book to keep you from going dull-eyed in front of the four-by-six seatback video screen, Gone Girl fits that bill. Once begun, it was difficult to put down. It stuck there in my hands, sticky…
How many books does one woman need at her bedside?
My bedside library slouches around the base of the small silver lamp on my nightstand. The New Yorker is to blame. Four issues, each only partially read. One still shrink-wrapped. They are too large. Their covers too slippery. In the pile, they move whole inches at the slightest jostle. Sandstone.…
The Proper Nouns of Life in Oslo
Even before learning the language, an expat must contend with the proper nouns of life in a new country. City names. Street names. Metro stop names. Pronunciation, particularly in places which use grander alphabets than we're used to, can be a problem. Skøyenåsen, anyone? Nuances in accent and emphasis can…