Callie J. Smith

author

Tag: friendship

Practicing Impatience and “The Monk’s Knife”

Jul 11, 2026

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by

Callie J. Smith

in spirituality and creativity

“Her friends used to make fun of her for even thinking she could smell power, but she could, and she smelled it on him.” – from “The Monk’s Knife,” a Cake & Pewter story My new cozy fantasy serial is here! “The Monk’s Knife” will publish in two parts on Substack starting today. It will…
Autumn Memories and “The Fodder Shock Maze: A Short Story”

Sep 10, 2025

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by

Callie J. Smith

in grief and memory, short fiction

“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…
The Book Accident: On Absence, Presence, and Grief

Jun 4, 2025

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by

Callie J. Smith

in grief and memory

“I’m tempted to call it a mystery the way a person can be gone and yet not be. Perhaps it’s one of those things a person makes peace with never fully figuring out.” – “The Book Accident” I’m pleased to share my recent essay The Book Accident,” which appeared in the Gals Guide Anthology: Female…
All Those Who Wander: The Spiritual Practice of Walking

Dec 1, 2023

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by

Callie J. Smith

in grief and memory, hope and imagination

I could have driven to the coffee shop. I’d have stayed warmer and drier. But that wasn’t the point. The point was that it was time for a walk. So, inside heavy wool coat, hat, scarf, and mittens, I set out on foot into the swirl of damp snowflakes. They stuck everywhere: on my nose,…
On Joy and Summer Trees

Jun 20, 2023

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by

Callie J. Smith

in grief and memory, hope and imagination, spirituality and creativity

Are there memories whose goodness has surprised you? Though not a poet, I took a workshop earlier this year which involved writing a poem that explored the divine through joy. Inspired by the vividness of Li-Young Lee’s sense-awakening poem “From Blossoms”, I tried writing about a kind of remembering moment that has taken me by surprise,…
Silly Things We Do That Keep Us Sane II

Apr 12, 2023

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by

Callie J. Smith

in grief and memory

What do you do that keeps you sane? In my first “Silly Things We Do” essay, I speculated that many of us have these things we do that would appear impractical and odd were it not for the good they do us. Funny how writing about that one habit of resting in winter sunshine has…

About the author

Callie J. Smith writes about women who, like her, are finding themselves. Her stories and essays explore everyday things like hope, creativity, and grief.