AUTHOR
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 →
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 →
"It’s the memories of care that strike me in a different, deeper place." - from "On Memories and Acts of Care" I'm pleased to share my recent piece "On Memories and Acts of Care," which appeared in The Polk Street Review 2025, where it was awarded the 2025 Award of Merit (Best in Book) prize. Read on... Continue Reading →
Sometimes I don’t really know what I’m doing. It’s not always a bad thing. For instance, I’ve had a hankering to bake rye bread lately – real rye bread that smells like yeast and rises on the kitchen counter. I knew nothing about any of it, but I decided a few months ago that a... Continue Reading →
Callie J. Smith 