Wisdom Companion #1 – Cancer and Sr. Rita

Many of you, friends and readers, have heard me talk about Sr. Rita, who has been my aman-cara, my heart friend for these many years, and who is the inspiration for the character of Sr. Eileen in my latest novel, EVEN SO.    Sr. Rita had breast cancer some years ago and we have now…

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Tea and Sympathy? Mercy #2

Recently I was asked to talked about EVEN SO with my friend Sr. Rita Woehkle at the Trenton Free Public Library. (You can click here to watch/listen. Sr. Rita says many wonderful things.) In talking about the book again, I found myself thinking about mercy in the context of the narrative. How Angela is shown…

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How To Write Literary Fiction

Recently Dundurn Press, the publisher of my latest novel, “Even So,” asked me to write a blog for their “Advice To Writers” feature and they suggested the subject “How to Write Literary Fiction.” Why? Because they love to ask the hard questions! I encourage you to go to Dundurn’s site, so you can see (and…

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A Place In the World

"Even So" The new child.

Soon, my seventh novel, Even So will be born into the world. It’s almost here, or rather, it is here, insofar as my part of the labor is done, and it’s off in the capable hands of publishing midwives. This is always an anxious time, since the world proves itself crueler and less understanding with every…

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Even So …. #21

Day ? of the pandemic. A robin builds a next to the bedroom window; a wren builds a nest by my office door, a chickadee builds a nest by the windchimes hanging from the arbor, in spite of everything. A big old watersnake guards its territory by the creek bank and startles me so that…

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Even So…. #19

Linda and Michael Cheeks

It’s been a few days since I last posted, because things got busy, even so. A very old friend, Michael Cheeks, passed away from cancer. I’ve known Michael since I was eighteen. Born in Guyana, Michael ended up, with his beautiful wife, Linda, in Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories. Michael was a big man, well…

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Even So …. #18

Day ? of the pandemic. I discovered this week that it’s quite easy to lose track of what day it is. I have a calendar and so forth, but even so. The clouds this morning were white and stone-grey mountains, full of threat and wonder both. I sat in the car and just gazed at…

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Even So …#17

Day ? of the pandemic. I woke this morning to the news that someone we know, who used to live two doors from us has passed away from Covid19. The circle of friends, acquaintances, and loved ones grows tighter, closer, in spite of everything. I came across a quote from Peace Pilgram today: “With inner…

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Even so…. #16

Day ? of the pandemic. Is it getting harder to focus on the best of things during the worst of times? It is. But I’m going to go on, even so. I spent the day gardening, planting seeds: mesclun, broccoli, basil, beans, peas, peppers, oregano, tomatoes, asparagus. ..Not much to see yet, but check back…

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Even So… #15

Day ? of the pandemic. My Best Beloved always refills the coffee maker with water after he’s made his own morning brew, a little thing but it reminds me of how very kind he is, even so. I have rediscovered the delight of avocado toast sprinkled with Egyptian dukkah (that fragrant mixture of herbs and…

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