One of the many things that overwhelmed me as a new mother was trying to figure out where I fell on the spectrum of parenting philosophies: Attachment parent? Tiger mom? Ferberization fan? Dr. Sears subscriber? Bringing Up Bébé believer? Not to mention a chorus of friends and family with their own sets of best practices. There were so many voices ( Read more... )

I spend a lot time thinking about how to reconcile being a mother and being a writer (and not just because I have a new book, Geek Parenting, coming out next month.) I've been reflecting upon what it means to be a parent today, compared with the way I was raised.


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I'm so excited to share the Kickstarter for Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling, an anthology edited by Monica Valentinelli and Jaym Gates, with cover art by the amazing, award-winning Galen Dara Smith published by Apex Publications.

I'm honored to be included on this Table of Contents, which includes Nisi Shawl, Maurice Broaddus, Alyssa ( Read more... )

We are already running late when Liam runs up the stairs shouting, "Mom, there are wolves outside our door! Wolves, Mom!"

Now, we love Neil Gaiman's The Wolves in the Wall as much as anyone (for obvious reasons), so I'm *sure* he's kidding. I'm certain that when I go downstairs I will encounter playdough animals stuck to the window or sock puppets ( Read more... )

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They take their mugs, then their seats, and fill the room; the empty chair holding everything they do not say. Until she speaks to raise a mug and, in remembering, cracks the silence, spills everything, and takes them back with, “I remember when” and “He always” and “I will miss” and “If only.” ("Seven," KROnline )

I'm delighted that my new  ( Read more... )

I've written before about how much I love getting mail and adore hand-written letters. Because of this, I've always paid particular attention to mail that arrives damaged, and when I was a girl I concocted an elaborate story in my head about the goblinny creatures who live in the post office and delight in damaging packages and letters. (Come to ( Read more... )

I just realized that I had not posted this on Live Journal...

Many of you know I spent much of the spring and summer writing, and it's finally time to announce why! A new book!!! And it’s coming next Spring!

A few years ago, my writer friend and editor extraordinaire Stephen Segal edited GEEK WISDOM: The Sacred Teachings of Nerd Culture. I loved ( Read more... )

It was a delight interviewing Matthew Kressel for The Brooklyn Rail. We talked about his engaging debut novel, KING OF SHARDS, his other writing and creative projects, and the different ways Matt explores myth, landscape, and beauty in unlikely places.

NYC friends, The Brooklyn Rail is in print, but everyone can read it online. (And if you haven't ( Read more... )