Just in time for the holidays, Ghost Parachute has published a new short story of mine, “Steppe,” about drinking. Ho ho ho! To read, look here…(Read More)
In October, I had the privilege of again speaking publicly about the rise and politicization of book banning in the US, this time in Paris and organized by author Janet Skeslien Charles and AAWE’s Chloé Chandler. Author Lucy Mushita also spoke. Another inspiring evening thanks to a wonderfully engaged audience! For more information about…(Read More)
Spending a week in one of the reconstructed stone studios at Cill Rialaig on the west coast of Ireland overlooking the Atlantic — battered by sun, wind, and rain, miles from the closest village, cut off from WiFi, heated by a wood stove, neighbored only by six other artists and a lot of sheep –…(Read More)
The wonderful travel entity Atlas Obscura asked me to read my Witching Hour essay about midnight sun in northern Finland on their podcast. I was happy to oblige! Give it a listen here…(Read More)
For years I’ve been eyeing the massive annual AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) conference, the biggest annual writers conference in the US, unable to attend because of being overseas. I finally made it this March, for AWP 2025. What an amazing event! Meeting up with writer friends I too rarely get to…(Read More)
What happy fortune to spend nearly three hard-working weeks in February and March as a writer in residence at historic Ragdale. A private study with a panoramic view of the prairie, a welcoming group of other artists to share notes with in the evening, and even a big beautiful freezing body of water to…(Read More)
The implementation of and codification of legislation promoting politically motivated and otherwise agenda-oriented book bans is growing at a frightening pace in the United States. “Writers Out Loud” was born from a desire to do something positive during a time of darkness. With the support of a friend with a large, beautiful salon and…(Read More)
“The sky has become a bruised pink-blue-purple. It is late June in Oulu in northern Finland, and Midsummer, the longest day of the year, has only just passed. In my husband’s hometown, sixty miles south of the Arctic Circle, the longest day of the year is long.” I love writing about Finland…(Read More)
“A highlight of the month of December for my sisters and me, growing up in New York City in the 1960s and 1970s, was a trip downtown to breathe in the smoky caramel scent of chestnuts roasting on the tiny pushcarts of bundled-up street vendors, hear the jingling bells of Salvation Army Santas along…(Read More)
“She ordered me a lemonáda. For the next few weeks during that hot confusing summer, many years ago, this became our routine.” To read the rest of this personal essay, “Lemonáda,” about a summer I spent in Greece during a precarious moment in my youth — appearing in one of my all-time favorite…(Read More)
