Bailey White & Belonging

I used to think writers needed intense life experiences for their work to be valid. Surviving childhood trauma, death of loved ones, grinding poverty, violence, or illness was necessary to produce lasting, meaningful work. Now I think this is BS. First, sadness and joy come with being human—like fries with a BLT at a roadside…

Remembering Bourdain

When we learned in 2018 that Anthony Bourdain had passed, my husband and I were shocked. We had watched his show, Parts Unknown, for years and felt like he was our good friend. Maybe he was a bit rough around the edges, but he brought out the best in each area he visited and each…

Best Summer Read-Aloud: “How to Train Your Dragon”

My six-year-old learned to read this past school year, and he can’t get enough of it. But he can be so immersed in a story that he gets angry when you interrupt him while reading, even to feed him Dino Nuggets. My husband and I often repeatedly say “Eye contact!” to get his attention. Thankfully,…

Welcome to Writing Aloud

Vocalizing my thoughts helps me process life’s narratives. And writing, like talking to myself, helps me do the same, but with the help of the delete button to edit out the ums and ahs. Even though I write in my day job, I wanted the chance to explore personal writing here. Be patient with me…