It’s been six weeks since I almost died. Four weeks of my brain not working the same because it was fighting the infection in my leg. Six different antibiotics over three weeks. One week in the hospital where I was in three rooms, had two beds, saw at least twenty doctors and only had one bad caregiving experience. It’s been four weeks since I ( Read more... )

Here's the highlights mostly in chronological order ( Read more... )

I've had a job for the last 10 years at an ophthalmology research lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For most of those years it's been a fast paced, intense, fun, and productive place to work. But lately it's become very slow and boring. Around a year ago there was a 25% staff layoff and we were told that we have two years to bring the ( Read more... )

I'm playing with prose poetry or flash essay or something here ( Read more... )

I'm very excited to have a poem included in this anthology. It's one of last things Patricia Monaghan finished before her passing. There is a book launch in Chicago on May 11th ( Read more... )

I think I should have learned this lesson a while ago but I keep doing it. Exposing my precious baby ideas to the wild world too soon. I have a creative idea and am so excited about the possibilities that I want to talk about it and revel in all the ways it could come into being and not even thinking I expose it to people who club that baby to ( Read more... )

Had critique group last night look over my book proposal. Have I mentioned that this group is wonderful? I'm learning so much about my own writing, receiving and giving feedback ( Read more... )

After the initial rush of putting together the many pieces that I had already started on, the book proposal has taken a turn towards the slooooooow pace of one grain of sand at a time. But if I want to submit it to my writing group for feedback this month I need to get it together by Thursday ( Read more... )

My body is changing. I feel out of control. And angry. And proud then really ashamed of being proud ( Read more... )

Tonight is the first meeting of a non-fiction/memoir critic group. I'm really nervous. There is 5-6 of us and we are meeting twice a month. It's going to be a challenge to keep production high for me. But I need to get at least a rough draft ready for April. The women in the group are really sweet and we all participate in a Buddhist style writing ( Read more... )