Novelist, Playwright, Doodle-ist
2020 was tough. It has justifiably become our first numeric cuss word. For my family 2020 began a few weeks early when we lost my grandson just before Christmas. He was a beautiful young man who made everybody smile, but he was experimenting. A huge risk took him away from his life and from us. …
Two really good things happened in 2020—and that’s saying a lot. I’m so excited. My website has gone through a complete overhaul. It’s new and updated and beautiful. (Thank you, Erica.) If you haven’t seen it, please take a few minutes to look it over. Or, get a cup of coffee or tea, maybe a…
Remember that scene in 2001 A Space Odyssey? Hal 9000, the computer—in an act of self-preservation—refuses to open the pod bay doors and let Dave return to the ship. “I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” We trust technology just like Dave trusted Hal. But an electronic device can change your life in…
Today, my stapler tried to kill me—twice. It wasn’t just an ordinary stapler. This stapler was my friend, Red Swingline. And I had no idea she was pissed off—until it was too late. I was trying to get billing ready, which requires Red’s assistance. After all, it’s what I got her for. Besides, if the…
I used to sing. Years ago. But when I decided to have kids, I willingly gave it up. I wanted to be home with my girls. But I missed it. So sometimes I’d get the kids settled down (nap time, color time, Sesame Street) and I would go into my room, close the door and…
I was driving home tonight. It was already dark. I imagine the Super Bowl was still going on but, I’m not sure. I didn’t watch it. I had a writing project to work on. I turned a corner and caught movement in my peripheral. It was a boy, probably between five and seven. He was…
My gym schedules regular aquatic exercise classes. On those days, I have to get there at just the right time. I have to squeeze myself between the scheduled classes. Normally, that’s fine. Today, there was someone in each lane. Now, we’re required to share a lane if necessary, but it can be a tight squeeze….
For the last few weeks, in addition to my regular schedule, I’ve had a side project. It’s been fun and a little like having multiple personalities. See, I’ve been playing the roles of three characters in the Radio Days series produced by Collaborative Theatre Project—CTP. At first I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do…
I learned to swim when I was still in single digits. My family lived in Florida. There was a lot of water around us. It was a safety issue. Mama never learned how to swim, so I took lessons. When the swimming instructor told me to hang on to the side of the pool and…
If you ever have a few minutes to kill, try digging around in the U.S. Census. It forces you to really think about what went before us, how far we’ve come, and how far we still have to go. When I was writing Switch,* I needed to know how it would feel to search for…