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“She wants to do something new with her life, but she may need the dead to help her do it.” - Kohelette: A Novel How do you feel about doing new things? Energized and excited? Uneasy? Overwhelmed? I've been paying extra attention to how I answer that question as we've entered the new year. To be... Continue Reading →
I know there’s more to the holidays than baking, but baking is simply one of those things my family does this time of year. It’s a ritual, a practice, an experience playing out over time that builds layers of memory and meaning. Even if I weren’t baking for holiday gatherings or for gifts, I’d still... Continue Reading →
"I’m trusting that these shared meals are accomplishing, or may yet accomplish, something with good in it. Perhaps, at the very least, they’re a start." - from "Yarns and Yams" Now that we've reached the month when many families in the US gather for Thanksgiving meals, I'm sharing this reflection I wrote earlier in the... Continue Reading →
I dread "the block.” It comes in all shapes and sizes for all kinds of creative projects. It frustrates the heck out of people whose well-meaning efforts it stalls. Ever been there? It’s not fun. Unfortunately, my most recent novel, The Joy of a Field, left me spending more time with creative block than either of... Continue Reading →
"This was the fun part. I reminded myself of that. At least, it used to be the fun part. Mazes gave me all the chances I needed to get where I was going." - from "The Fodder Shock Maze" Do you have a favorite part of autumn? I have trouble narrowing it down to one thing, myself. I'm a... Continue Reading →
I feel a little nostalgic at this time of year when I glimpse signs of summer ending. Soundscapes change with tree frogs and buzzing crickets. Early dustings of dry, fallen leaves show up along the sides of my hiking and biking trails. I may have begun summer with an upbeat kind of energy, excited about... Continue Reading →
Callie J. Smith 