The Past, Alive and Well in a Persistent Wilderness

The Past, Alive and Well in a Persistent Wilderness

Last September, I flew to Omaha on a research trip for my next book, a novel, Valentine, Nebraska, the story of homesteaders based on my grandmother’s life. At Alamo car rental they said I could choose any Dodge Challenger I wanted. I picked the white one with Texas...
Passionate Habits

Passionate Habits

I have been thinking a lot about perspiration, inspiration and the maddening ebb and flow of passion in my writing life. The first line of this post came into my head this morning at 5:30 AM after six weeks capturing vague thoughts on yellow sticky notes. At her book...
Seeking the Unexpected

Seeking the Unexpected

This past October, clutching my mug of tea, I surveyed the unpainted pottery bowls and leaves laid out on the table and selected a leaf with curling edges just larger than my hand. The six of us in the workshop painted our pieces. The workshop leader, Trish, planned...
Weeding Out

Weeding Out

A few days ago, I dared to go into my garden after spending weeks fearing that nothing lived under the layer of oak leaves. Everything must have died a natural death or been eaten from underneath by chipmunks. But a green iris spear poking through made me take a...
The Perks of Isolation

The Perks of Isolation

During this time of isolation and uncertainty I often find myself trapped between two reactions – outright paranoia or blistering anger. Both drive me either to obsessive cleaning – taking a toothbrush to the grout in the shower – or long walks in the woods behind my...