My writing background tells me that when dealing in highly charged symbols like fire, owls, houses, kudzu (if you're southern), lakes, storm and the like, one must tread lightly. These symbols mean something. You're supposed to know what. It isn't that the house must always be the soul of the family, but it commonly is. … Continue reading The Dark Bird
Category: all of the above
Gardening at Night
My sister found them before I did, back in the days that we bought records we read about in Rolling Stone magazine. She was a fan, bought album after album, knew their names. And maybe that was why I didn't; she had her stuff and I had mine. Even if she was the bigger fan, … Continue reading Gardening at Night
Painting the Pink Room
It’s become apparent that the sale of my book is inextricably linked to the sale of our old house, three blocks down the hill. We moved last summer and couldn't sell it; we rented it, our tenants moved out and we kept it vacant, believing it would show a lot better empty. Somehow my lovingly … Continue reading Painting the Pink Room
The five year plan
I've heard about these for decades. Which is to say that several five year segments have passed without me having formulated one. I do still remember writing in a journal that I needed to have a novel published before I was thirty, a move I now consider a curse. But recently I've had some forward … Continue reading The five year plan
Weird Human Behavior #4: Catching Frogs
Last summer I found myself standing stock-still with my kids in an algae-covered pond, which looked and smelled more like a cess pool.We were hunting. My boy was in frog camp; they had been here earlier in the week and he had caught six. I found this impossible to believe; we'd been standing here for … Continue reading Weird Human Behavior #4: Catching Frogs
Back to school
First and third grade started for us this week. I was ill-prepared for the emotional freak out of watching my boy, my boy! march away from me into the mysterious recesses of his new school. It wasn't Kindergarten after all—he stayed at preschool for Kindergarten. Nobody else was bawling. Even the kids seemed soberly resigned … Continue reading Back to school
Weird Human Behavior that I Happen to Like
This will be an ongoing topic. I'll start here: #1 Waving Deliciously primitive, asinine and ape-like, and yet what courage! What audacity! It's so hopeful, to raise one's hand while making eye contact with someone too far away to speak to. Across a room, through a crowd. My eyesight isn't stellar, so I am repeatedly … Continue reading Weird Human Behavior that I Happen to Like
How Harry Potter killed my teaching career
I knew I was done last fall when I faced my seminar class of sixteen freshmen and felt I was staring at circle of aliens. The feeling grew during an oral presentations (no longer called speeches): a musical power point. I didn't recognize a single song except "Henry the Octopus" by the Wiggles. In spite … Continue reading How Harry Potter killed my teaching career
Water balloons and the July moon
My feet hurt. I'm serious. Every day at least once they feel like I've walked a marathon, or shopped for five hours straight. It's been going on so long I've noticed myself start to live with it. Even my kids just assume that I won't play kickball or tag or race them to the front … Continue reading Water balloons and the July moon
June and the family Poaceae
The solstice is the season of grass. Where I live, probably the classiest, smartest species is needle and thread grass (Stipa comata). This one blooms by late June and is found in fields, high mountain passes and grungy vacant lots alike. It's got a long, thin wispy tail coming from out of short, sharp seed … Continue reading June and the family Poaceae