One of the many ways I’ve dealt with the past year’s uncertainty is to focus on what I can control. A lot of people practice this all the time. It’s not revelatory because, let’s face it, there’s a lot outside our control, and to rage against that reality is a great way to drive yourself […]
This week was my last as an intern at New York literary agency Writers House. I have so many wonderful things to say about this experience, but first, the logistics. The internship is meant to teach a select few, lucky people the ins and outs of the publishing industry. But, more than that, it’s […]
The final hours of 2020, an unparalleled year. Tomes have been written about this year’s brutal heartaches. The pandemic. Social unrest. Politics. I’ve written my thoughts here and elsewhere, a lone voice in oceans of words. But, generally, on New Year’s Eve, I look inward, because my choices are all I can […]
Today I’m starting an adventure that looked so different earlier this year. I’m at an isolated retreat at Write On, Door County, a non-profit that offers retreats not just for writers but for leaders of literary arts programs, in my case the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators-Wisconsin. It turns out I’m the first […]
If you’re a person living outside the United States reading this, I wonder how you’re reacting to all that’s happened in American politics this year (and the previous three). Of course, we Americans can go online and dip into your newspapers/newscasts to see reaction. It is, obviously, as varied as all human interaction is. But […]
One of my 2020 new year’s resolutions was to read daily – from an actual book, not just news headlines. Authors should of course read voraciously, but we all know how it goes. Life can interfere with even the best laid plans. Then came the actual 2020, featuring a badly managed public health crisis, its […]
Hispanic Heritage Month starts Tuesday. It’s always been a special time to acknowledge the history and contributions of the many people who make up the Hispanic/Latinx community. With this year’s racial reckoning and social upheaval, I thought I’d share some data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Hispanics make up nearly 19% of the U.S. population. […]
It is with a heavy heart that I share news of the end of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Writers’ Institute. The 30-year-long literary conference is shutting down due to financial loss from the coronavirus pandemic. It’s hard to express how much of a loss this is for the Wisconsin writing community. The Writers’ Institute […]
Six months. It’s taken me six months to get back to my blog, this News section. My last post was about being awarded two literary residencies and the weight of expectations, yet it was hopeful. *I* was hopeful. But even as I wrote that entry, the coronavirus pandemic was spreading around the world. Here in […]
I’m really excited to announce that I’ve been awarded two writerly residencies! They’re set for December 2020 and September 2021, which I suspect will be here before I know it, but I’m thrilled with that because residencies are actually a dream come true for me. Allow me to explain. Residencies take many forms, but, in […]