My hometown is a village located in the southwest corner of Maine. For the first five years of my life, I spent my days wandering the woods and groves of lilac bushes around my house or with the kids down the road, an older girl and her younger brothers. During the summer before I turned six, my […]
Elementary, My Dear Writer
The Very, Very Basics of Writing Anything There are three fundamental elements of every piece of written work—including film, non-fiction and grocery lists. These three elements must be present or there is no point in proceeding. In non-fiction, the three elements forming the basics of a book are: Idea – the Topic Reason – Information […]
RE: Another Memorial Day to Remember
Reposted from Classic and Cozy Books Blog, Tuesday, May 26, 2015 Traditionally, graves of Union soldiers were decorated with flowers. The Confederate soldiers were commemorated similarly, but on a separate day. By the 20th Century, the competing days merged into the one we now know, the last Monday of May, the beginning of summer.Every year, […]
When We’re Not Who We Think We Are
As with many Americans, because my family came here as immigrants—as did everyone else in the world to their respective countries however long ago that was—I have an interest in my roots. Over time, roots get buried so deep that digging one up disrupts everything you thought you knew about yourself and who you thought […]
A Day to Unite the Civilized World – Again
November 13, 2015 Vive la France et les Français. Today, November 15, 2015 – the French Air Force has made their appropriate response to Radical Islamic terrorism. This is mine. […]
September 11, 2001 – Honor but Always Question
In honor of all those who were murdered on this day, September 11, 2001, may they and their loved ones find peace. My most heartrending memory of this terrible event were the phone and email messages of love sent by the victims to their families and friends. There are still unanswered questions about this event: […]
Review: The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton My rating: 5 of 5 stars The House of Mirth is an exquisite, classic tragedy. Wharton’s creation, Lily Bart, is among the truly honest, tragic heroines – driven by her best instincts and her highest ideals to make choices that lead to sink further into the mire of […]
Don’t Blame the Pilgrims – Repost
Since writing this article, I have had the opportunity to read more about the War Between the States. I now caution anyone setting a work of fiction during this period to research both sides of this tragic conflict. This post was written a few days before it was scheduled to appear. The fourth blessing mentioned below made […]
Our Words, Our Thoughts, Our Stories
A few months ago, I mentioned to a fellow member of a writers’ group that I was working on a post-Civil War manuscript. Her immediate comment was “You’d better be on the right side of that conflict.” My immediate reaction was a silent grimace, and a sense of foreboding. As an amateur historian with a bias […]
Dreams & Aspirations – Repost
During my tenure as director and editor for Honno: Welsh Women’s Press, I encouraged my mother to write her World War II memoirs. I presented my siblings and my sons with a privately published copy on her 90th birthday. These memoirs were subsequently published as an ebook, Following the Troops: Life for an Army Wife, […]