Stories like Mary Delaney’s give me hope. It was in 1772 (yes, you read that right!) and she was 72 years old when in an unexpected moment of observation, Mary Delaney noticed that a piece of colored paper (presumably, watercolored paper) perfectly matched the petal of a geranium. In a flash of inspiration, a creative…
Did you know that books can be a competitive sport? I’ve never been a successful competitor type, but I did take a chance during a professional dinner last summer. One of the publishing professionals at the table asked what everyone was reading. When it was my turn I gulped, held my breath, and blurted, “Patrick…
I held her hand through the forty-five minute MRI scan of her brain and chest. We had not shared such extended proximity to one another in decades. That afternoon she had crumpled on the sidewalk outside the senior center. After refusing medical attention, she was eventually lured into the ambulance by my cousin, who lives…
This happy jumble of cleome, coreopsis, cosmos, cone flower, sweet peas, and morning glories has the power to draw me outdoors at all hours of the day to water, fertilize, and snag the weeds that elbow their way into the garden patch. Alas, there are no edibles this year — my focus has been on…
My love affair with all-things-bookish goes way back, so I barely paused before volunteering to help at my library’s handmade books workshop. As well, my friend Jerri had recently won this year’s MFA Contest in the Amoskeag Journal, and in honor of her award, the ‘concertina’ or ‘flower fold’ style book seemed the perfect something special. After…
The beauty of the software from the folks at Blurb is that you don’t have to know how to write code, or even have a background in layout design, to join in the immediate gratification of bookmaking. My experience with print production goes back to my early twenties, when I learned how to set type…
I took a stand yesterday. It wasn’t comfortable but it was necessary. Patty Perfect — that would be my very lively inner critic — was harping in my mind’s ear, but instead of giving in, I ignored her. In a single bold move to rescue my gasping-for-breath creativity, I barred myself from logging in to…
We had an esteemed houseguest recently, but someone wasn’t pleased. Beware of the calico personality! Our visitor, Ann, is the author of the lighthearted-with-serious-subtext novel, On Maggie’s Watch. Ann makes me laugh more than almost anyone, but Corabelle fails to appreciate the humor. “How long is she staying?” she seemed to be asking. Before Cora’s patience…
This past week I completed an item that’s been hanging around my to-do list for a year: write a query letter for my memoir manuscript. After twelve months of procrastination I even surprised myself at how quickly the first draft came together. With feedback and suggestions from a circle of writerly friends incorporated, the final…
I finished John Kralik’s memoir, 365 Thank You’s, shortly before Valentine’s Day, that holiday extravaganza during which visions of treats and surprises burrow in the imagination of yours truly, a girl raised on fairy tales. Especially after reading about Kralik’s quest to recognize opportunities for gratitude and express appreciation, I made a conscious effort to…
