Remember Maurice Sendak’s playful pen and ink drawings of children in Ruth Knauss’s A HOLE IS TO DIG? In that book, boys and girls roll in the snow and hold kittens and bow to each other in party hats. The subtitle is “A First Book of First Definitions.” During a month that has been shot full […]
Musician’s Pie
You’re probably familiar with Shepherd’s Pie, that stick-to-your-ribs staple with its mashed potato crust, peas, and minced beef or mutton—hardy nourishment for anyone manning fields of fleece-covered flocks. According to Wikipedia, this dish has been around since 1791 when potatoes were introduced as an edible and affordable option. Today I’m sharing a new take on […]
Two Blondes And A Truck
A few weeks ago, writer Marianne Sprangers and I hit the road in a super-sized pickup, all in the name of research: Marianne, always wondering if there is a man who might actually measure up to cheesecake (check out her musings @cheesecakeisbetterthanmen; warning: you will immediately crave slices of rich, creamy goodness); and me, searching for verisimilitude, […]
Small Spaces & Big Trucks: A Quaker House
When I was around four years old, I thought my dad could do anything. He taught me how to tie my shoes, how to say my prayers, and how to, instead of stick figures, draw a person’s profile. I thought my mother could do anything, too. When she knitted me a little hat, I told her […]
Dreaming of Small Spaces
While growing up, my sister and I watched endless reruns of Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, and That Girl and then took turns pretending to be the lead characters. While Marlo Thomas had, hands down, the best wardrobe, it was way cooler to be Samantha or Jeannie because they were magic. But given that Samantha was […]
Lorimer Press Mourns the Loss of Beloved Associate
Many Lorimer Press authors recall, most with fondness, the publisher’s feline assistant, Jezebel. She was present at nearly every home office meeting for 17 of her 18 years and our hearts have been heavy since her disappearance Sunday, May 21. A very social creature, Jezebel was well known and loved by many in Davidson. She […]
What I’ve Learned While Teaching… and how my Jo March fantasy came to life…
Like many writers, I’ve always loved reading, cutting my teeth on Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and Harriet the Spy, followed by Little Women, which I must have read eight times before sixth grade. I loved Meg, hated Amy, and wanted to be Jo writing in her garret. That fantasy has been my reality here at Lenoir-Rhyne […]
Regrets and Kindness
Regrets and kindness, what can they possibly have in common? Best-selling author George Saunders, for one. Saunders, speaking in Charlotte last week, said one of the best questions to ask an old person is, “What are your regrets?” Some people believe everything happens for a reason so regrets are a waste of time. The rest […]
When What If Becomes What Is
If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster. —Isaac Asimov The unthinkable happened last week. Okla Elliott, a Facebook friend, poet, writer, professor, champion of small presses, died at age 39 of a heart attack in his sleep. I posted that I was shocked […]
Musings on prehistoric technology, the wheel of life, and my “What If?” Year
A million years ago, before the internet, before CD’s, but after eight tracks, we had cassette tapes. … Some musings on prehistoric technology and the wheel of life.