Motherhood & Words
- All
- author interviews
- community
- essay/memoir
- life
- motherhood
- poetry
- publication
- reviews
- teaching
- warrior
- writing
creating your own integrity
Stella is on spring break this week, and something about that and the fact that it is surprisingly—strangely—warm outside makes me feel as if I should also be on vacation. I’m not, of course, but things have slowed down for me a bit. One class has ended and the other is winding down, so I…
teaching, writing and lee
The other night I went to see Chang-rae Lee read and talk about his new novel, The Surrendered. I haven’t read much of his fiction, but I absolutely love his essay “Coming Home Again,” which he was gracious enough to let me use in my Introduction to Creative Nonfiction class at the Loft. I like…
broadening the motherhood discussion
I have a review of Who’s Your Mama? and Unbuttoned, two interesting and important anthologies, over at Literary Mama this week. Please check it out. Happy Spring!
firefly memoir writing retreat
I’m happy to announce that I’m leading another writing retreat this summer. This will be a memoir writing retreat with Firefly Retreats, which will be held at Xanadu Island Bed and Breakfast in Battle Lake, Minnesota. What: Memoir as Discovery Description: Writing is an act of discovery. Dive into your writing and find out what…
the power of words
Thank you for your kind comments on yesterday’s post. I’ll keep plugging along, I promise. And because I’m going to keep plugging along, I have a few things to say about how women’s writing is described. So often in our society, writing by a group of people is lumped together and dismissed. This has certainly…
nine lives
The sun is finally shining here and yesterday was gorgeous, mid-sixties—almost unheard of weather for this time of year in Minnesota. It’s amazing what this does to the way I see the world. Hopefulness bubbles to the surface, escapes through my pours. I start imagining long walks and bike rides and loping, solitary runs during…
i swear i can fly!
I’m sorry I’ve been quiet this week. Zoë has been home sick the last two days with a fever, which means very little work time for me. And of course she’s sleeping next to me because I’m deadly afraid she’ll have another seizure. You probably wish you could hang out with me in person right…
writing parenthood – one-day workshop
Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes for Zoë. I think she had a wonderful birthday (and she’s very excited about the new wagon from her grandparents!) I wanted to let you know about my upcoming Writing Parenthood class at The Loft — it’s a super-condensed version of Mother Words (and dads are welcome, too!)…
two
It’s my little Zoë’s birthday today. How can she already be two years old? I remember the day she was born, the thick wet snowflakes falling outside as I tried not to think about being sliced open. I remember the terrible cold I had that day (as I do now). I remember that Donny took…
a few photos
Here are a few photos from the Mother Words Retreat. The view. The Great Room. The sunny meeting room on the very top floor. The evening ritual. Reading some of our favorite poems and essays by the bonfire. (Yes, there were s’mores.) What’s not to love?
retreat recap
I wrote about arriving at Faith’s Lodge on Friday, about the feeling of that place, the incredible energy there. This energy only intensified, crystallized, as the weekend progressed. The weather was perfect—in the 40s, bright sun, blue sky. (Don’t be afraid of Wisconsin in February!) As we sat in the top floor meeting room, sun…
retreat day 1 – the arrival
Yesterday morning I woke early with an oozing eye. This happens to me sometimes when I have a cold—the snot tries to exit through the tear duct of my left eye. I know. I know. I wish there was a more delicate way to say it, but there’s not. I wasn’t too concerned about the…