I’m excited to announce that the dates have been set for the 2nd Annual Mother Words Retreat! Join me for a weekend retreat for mother-writers. We’ll write, share our writing, discuss challenges with craft, and have time to connect with other mother writers in the luxury and quiet of Faith’s Lodge. Group meetings and individual…
Read MoreThe 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…
Read MoreI’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…
Read MoreThanks 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!)…
Read MoreHere 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?
Read MoreI 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…
Read MoreYesterday 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…
Read MoreMy mind has been buzzing these last days with thoughts about form and function in creative nonfiction, memoir as discovery, and the role writing plays in memory revision. Both of my classes are underway now, and I’m loving them. My students are so smart and engaged. I realized this week that I love teaching two…
Read MoreSometimes as a teacher, it’s difficult to know whether I’m making a difference. It’s certainly easier now that I teach adults because adults—and especially mothers—are more vocal in their appreciation than, say, a bunch of 18-year-olds. But even now, I sometimes wonder whether what I do matters. Needless to say, it made my day the…
Read MorePerhaps you noticed that I didn’t post about too many books or essays this fall. I was just in over my head and apparently incapable of digesting anything literary after the girls were in bed. But I’m happy to report that I’m reading again—finally—and I have a ton of exciting books to post about in…
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