I’m the Preacher’s Kid
My soul is so full. I am coming down from the high after hanging out at the Southern Festival of Books for three days. No, not a vacation, not a retreat, but three days that were for me. Poet me, writer me, reader me. There is so much to reflect on, so I’ll have to [...]
Afraid of Nothing, As Though I Had Wings
Today in Nashville the Southern Festival of Books began! I hadn’t been in a few years, and I was pumped to be on Fall Break and have the chance to get down there this afternoon. I got to hear poet Mark Jarman read and speak and I bought his newest collection, Bone Fires. Now that’s [...]
How I Want to Defy Gravity and Touch the Stars
Today I grumped and griped. I do everything around here. No one ever tells me thank you. No one ever offers to help. I wouldn’t have to get on to all of you if you’d pick up your stuff once in a while. Then I sadly sulked. I wish my life were more than dishes [...]
On Humility (And Nursing a Bruised Ego)
Yesterday Madeleine got her card moved from green to yellow – for the first time EVER!! She made it all the way through kindergarten and first grade without having her card pulled. There were a lot of tears on the way home yesterday. She didn’t do anything terrible; she was just supposed to be sitting [...]
Book Month Challenge Day 28: Favorite Craft/Writing Book
Writing the Australian Crawl: Views on the Writer’s Vocation by William Stafford. I had to read this when I was getting my MFA. It’s an old book, but it’s really good, and I’ve gone back to it several times as I struggle through writing. I’ll share several of the things I’ve underlined and you’ll see [...]
Book Month Challenge Day 20: Book You’ve Read The Most Number of Times
I’m going to go with a book of poetry today! Rose by Li-Young Lee. This book is a thing of beauty. The poems are graceful, deep, moving. They are honest and humble, yet hold secrets. I come back to them over and over again. Here are excerpts from my favorite poems in the book (click [...]
Book Month Challenge Day 12: Favorite Book of Poetry
Rilke’s Book of Hours (Love Poems to God) by Rainer Maria Rilke (Translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy) While I love many books of poems, I keep this one on my nightstand. In these poems, Rilke captures the ever-competing forces of my yearning for God and my distance from Him. Rilke reaches out into [...]
Book Month Challenge Day 11: Book From Your Favorite Author
So . . . to be honest I’m not exactly sure what today’s challenge is supposed to mean. I’ve already listed one book my favorite author . . . because it’s one of my favorite books. And I think I’ve picked another book by her for a later day’s topic. So I guess this post [...]
When You Know You’ll Never Quite Be Home
Blame it on spending my childhood in two countries. Blame it on bouncing back and forth between two languages. Between two cultures. I used to feel Thai and American. But never quite fully either one. It’s like being Abnegation and Dauntless. And being neither of them. Friends have been going to Thailand and posting pictures. [...]
Writing Down the White Water Waves
Okay, that must be the stupidest blog post title ever. But you get my metaphor. Life happens, I write. Good stuff happens, I write. Bad stuff happens, I write. I usually write more when bad stuff happens, just for catharsis. But it also has a calming effect on my soul. I am brimming with dedication [...]
