In the beginning of The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead, I found the book a bit off-putting. The author drops the reader into the middle of a scene with no hand holds or explanations. Our protagonist is Lila Mae Watson, an elevator inspector in an unnamed city with lots of big buildings. But Whitehead doesn’t introduce us to … Continue reading Book Review: The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead
These are some pretty weird prompts, so please don't read more into it than there is. This is just for fun. Prompts: Jesus was an agnostic, Schrodinger’s cat is gone, two days he’d been waiting, Sweet William-my guitar, the serial killers Two days he’d been waiting, sitting on the front porch in a … Continue reading Schro and His Cat
About three quarters of the way through Tommy Orange’s There There, on the day of the culminating Big Oakland Pow Wow, it occurred to me that this plot structure was a bit like some potboilers I read way back in the 60s when I wanted to read grown-up books, so I borrowed a few of … Continue reading Book Review: There There by Tommy Orange
After the weight of holiday expectation has lifted, on short wet days when I don't feel compelled to rush out and toil in the garden or hike by the river, the light begins to return. Not to the sky, but to that small amber space between my belly and breasts. I discover again that I … Continue reading January
New for 2019, along with flash fiction, poetry and crazy musings, I plan to also post book reviews! I've been having fun posting reviews on Goodreads, and I decided it was time to share the wealth over here too. Looking forward to hearing whether you agree with my picks, and what books you'd recommend as well. … Continue reading Review: Becoming by Michelle Obama
Written with my Tuesday group with the prompt: traditions that become oppressive! Long ago, in the pagan cultures of the far north, work and travel were severely limited by cold and snow as days grew shorter. Farmers and their families would remove a wheel from their carts as a sign of surrender to the great … Continue reading Meditation on an Advent Wreath
One day, before our writing practice, most everyone in the writing circle professed ignorance of the modern tradition called “The Elf on the Shelf.” Although I am no expert either, I found myself compelled to write the following. The elf appears mysteriously on a shelf in homes where parents deign to invite him in. “This … Continue reading The Elf on the Ledge (copyright pending)
Every year on Pearl Harbor Day, I like to tell the story of my late mother, who was picking oranges with her best friend on December 7th, 1941, when they got the news that the Japanese had bombed the US Naval Base in Hawaii. Every year after, she picked the first orange of the season … Continue reading Juicy
I wrote this a year ago when my cats were just babies. They’re much more disciplined now—ha! I was sitting on the toilet a half hour ago, getting a clear view of the leather belt I slipped through my denim belt loops this morning, and I noticed it—kitten teeth marks on the end of my … Continue reading Kittens for Christmas
Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, be aware of the grace that surrounds you.
