on pins & needles, again
I haven’t written a post for ages–but I’ve been working hard on my novel. One of my three main characters lived in Brooklyn for ~40 years, so Gary and I spent … Continue reading
back to writing about writing…
Aside from the need for inspiration and sufficient skill to create credible, compelling characters, there’s another challenge in writing historical fiction: getting the context right in terms of social mores, medical … Continue reading
Now receiving visitors…
With no fanfare, Adele is finally ensconced in her new home: the American Gallery of the Portland Art Museum. Her installation was originally scheduled in mid-November, after an introductory lecture … Continue reading
perpetual motion
Our predominant impression after three weeks in Vietnam and Cambodia is of a ceaseless moving stream. These snapshots convey a mere hint of the motion and sound of the torrent … Continue reading
’tis the season
It’s nearly Christmas, time to make gingerbread and lebkuchen–putting me in mind of an essay I wrote in summer, 2012, which is forthcoming in Memories Sweet and Savory: Desserts from http://WomensMemoirs.com, Matilda … Continue reading
writing a novel?
Well, I think maybe so… I last wrote about my sense of outrage that, during the Victorian era, men could have mistresses, they could divorce, they could remarry–but women were “the … Continue reading
Curious cultural convergence
Be thankful we’ve moved past the late 19th century. I haven’t posted anything for weeks because I’ve been developing detailed conjectures on the backstory of a painting that’s been in … Continue reading
It’s published
When I wrote last month about winning Second Prize for non-fiction in the Willamette Writer’s Kay Snow Contest, I mentioned that VoiceCatchers also liked Learning Chutzpah, and would publish the story … Continue reading
a ‘writer gene’?
In 1988, my father shared with me some of the letters that Francis Bailey wrote to his brother–my great-grandfather–from 1863 to 1899. My reaction? it would be incredibly cool to … Continue reading
Sometimes, when you least expect it…
…something really terrific happens. At an Oregon Writers Colony meeting in Portland last summer, I participated in a break-out session about where to submit your writing. One suggestion for non-fiction … Continue reading
illuminate history 