teacher pride

I love teaching. I know I’ve written that very sentence here before, and I know I’ll write it again. Putting it down here reminds me that the classroom is my passion, that my students have changed my life, that their words have the power to change other people’s lives, as well. This is what I’m…

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Women Writing on Family

It’s not always easy to write about the people in your life, but as a memoirist, it’s part of my job. When I first began to write, I struggled to get accurate portrayals of my family members onto the page. I worried what my mom and dad will say when they read certain essays or…

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reading woolf

It’s been a melancholic week, even with the serious basement cleaning that D and I accomplished last weekend. (I’m still on my mission to de-clutter.) Stella started back to school on Monday, and she is thrilled to be a second-grader. Thrilled. She comes home full of stories about her day and her new classmates, and…

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a double life: discovering motherhood

I’m so pleased to have another author interview to post this week. Today, I have the pleasure of introducing Lisa Catherine Harper, whose debut memoir, A Double Life: Discovering Motherhood, won the 2010 River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Prize. This is a lovely, meditative memoir that takes the reader through Harper’s first pregnancy and early motherhood.…

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on being a writer

I haven’t had much time to sit down and really write these last weeks. Between my grandpa dying, a trip up north, a non-writing related freelance project, and limited childcare, I just haven’t had the time to spirit myself off to the coffee shop. And this bothers me. It makes me feel unmoored, as if…

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in iowa

I’m sorry I’ve been quiet the last week or so. Life has gotten in the way of blogging (and writing in general). Hopefully I’ll be able to return to my computer with new vigor when I’m back home. But right now I’m in Iowa City at NonfictioNOW, soaking up as much as I can. I…

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mother words week at cribsheet!

I’m thrilled to announce that it’s Mother Words Week over at the StarTribune‘s Cribsheet blog. I know many of you are regular readers of Cribsheet. If you’re not, you should be — May and Kay are fabulous! This year’s Mother Words week features essays from my online Mother Words students, and it’s being kicked off…

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happy father’s day!

Just a shout out to all the dads out there. Happy Father’s Day! There are some really wonderful Father’s Day pieces up at Literary Mama this month. I especially love Sheila Squillante’s “All Things Edible, Random, and Odd.” Enjoy!

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for the running mamas

I spent last weekend at my mom’s cabin in northern Minnesota with my family, and it was just what I needed. The weather was gorgeous on Saturday (think mid-July heat and sun), so I decided I’d take a day and not work at all. (I clearly have an unhealthy relationship with my computer if it’s…

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happy mother’s day!

I had some quiet reading time this morning when D took the girls out to track down some fresh strawberries and a vanilla latte for me. Then with strawberries and coffee in bed, Stella presented me with all the Mother’s Day cards and stories she had written. (Some were collaborations; Zoe contributed scribbles and swirls.)…

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