Processing life through writing
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… Continue reading Bailey White & Belonging
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… Continue reading Remembering Bourdain
When my oldest son was a toddler, and the Minnesota winters kept us inside, we’d spend hours reading picture books. We’d drive to the library, check out a foot-tall stack of books, and then read through the entire stack multiple times a day until the next library trip. My husband and I quickly learned which… Continue reading On Writing (for Kids)
Angeline Boulley’s Firekeeper’s Daughter is about a young adult navigating her place in an upper-midwest Ojibwe tribe while pursuing justice among its members. The main character, Daunis, is already caught between two worlds before being recruited as an informant for the CIA—her mother is from a rich family with French roots, and her deceased father… Continue reading Earning Our Stories
What does the word “craft” bring to mind? A small boat? A potter’s studio? Pom poms and glue sticks? One of my first memories of watching someone practicing a “craft” was at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival long ago. My family and I joined a crowd under a large white tent. A sweaty man wearing a… Continue reading Comma Drama
Writing Aloud 