A curious little discovery. Being a writer and so far not a bestselling one, I usually earn less than friends who are not in the arts. My car rolled off the line in ’92, etc. I never thought that embarrassed me at all. It’s merely a cost of my calling in life, and most of […] Read More

You must go to Salon.com and read Garrison Keillor’s story about having a stroke. It is GK at his best, which is very very good. And he makes this brush with death charming and funny, as well as, with a deft hand, profound and an argument for political action. Tough to do under any circumstances. […] Read More

My astrologically-minded friends tell me that we are in the period of “Mercury in retrograde,” one of the times of year that is famous for weird glitches in the operations of gadgets and schedules and systems. I’m open to the general concept of astrology. If the moon can create tides, surely the heavenly bodies can […] Read More

One of my office partners has gone to South Africa for three weeks. She's teaching, studying, and helping to organize an event. She has long wanted to go there and has been working on arranging it for years. I'm not sure why that was the spot in all the world. Why are some Americans Anglophiles […] Read More

Email trouble is like running into a large spider web in the dark. Can’t quite see what has hold of me. And it still has hold of me. I hope to have my new address sent out to my whole list soon. But if you were expecting to hear from me and didn’t. Please send […] Read More

After my ten minute meditation break this afternoon, I opened my eyes and saw a tiny rainbow over the doorjamb. A little comet. Or an idea arriving. We get to interpret signs and symbols as we wish. Basic principle of interpretation of all things: choose the option that’s the most helpful, the one that would […] Read More

A heartening tale: a friend whose agent has been circulating her first novel to editors for three years and three months just got a two-book deal. Here’s to discovering one’s calling in life and keeping on! I find that such occurrences encourage me, not just at work but in every part of the day. Here’s […] Read More

It takes some bold individuals to start an independent bookstore of any sort at this time in history. All Booked Up not only opened this past May, but after only four months in business, they moved down the street to a larger location. The place sells gently used and antiquarian books and collectibles. It has […] Read More

A variation on yesterday’s idea: for moments when you need encouragement, keep a file in your desk drawer of nice notes or reviews or even a letter from your mother that reminds you that you’re dazzling and your work is important and worthwhile. –This idea came from psychologist husband Bob. Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It! - Subscribe to […] Read More

What I’ve discovered from writing the fellowship application I was blogging about yesterday: Affirmations work. Or they can at least stoke the passions and build confidence. You know what I mean by affirmations, yes? The empowering sayings we’re encouraged to repeat to ourselves, such as: I am a calm and capable person. I am a […] Read More