You have no idea how skeevy it feels to have a statement like “I’m writing a book” just hanging out there in the blogosphere. But, I’m going to just let it hang, and live with the discomfort, and even compound it by sharing what the book is about, to the extent that I know what […]

G-mommy is here to watch the girls this week while C’s day-care person is on vacation. R and I are working in the basement. I still haven’t decided what to do about next week, when L will still be away—I might take a couple of days off, and there are several members of the church […]

Some thoughts, still nebulous–would love some feedback:
We were talking with Young Episcopal Memoirist today about full-time writers (she is not one). She commented that often a person will have some success with a first book, and she’ll quit her job to write full time, and the second book won’t be nearly as good because it’s […]

Random pieces from day 4:
–Rita Mae Brown says you can have a job that pays the rent, you can write, or you can have a life–pick two.
–We had the inclusive language discussion yesterday after reading a submission from a man who used a *lot* of Father language for God. While I don’t want to lose […]

It hasn’t been edited, it really doesn’t have much of a beginning or an end really, and I’m not sure what the point is, or even if there needs to be one.
—–
This morning C was showing us some hand signs. “This means stop, this means go, this means dude.” I didn’t even know she knew […]

A very unorganized list of stuff I am thinking about on day 3:
–Another great day for the Divine Miss M. Retired Office Manager continues to work wonders with the cup. M apparently even started sucking on the spout this afternoon, rather than just letting the milk dribble into her mouth. And she doesn’t seem ravenously […]

PPB and others were wondering what I submitted for critique. Here is the first piece:
Introduction
It’s happened again.
Another friend of mine from seminary, ordained, installed and practicing ministry for less than two years, has given notice to the church she serves. She will not seek another call—not right now. She will be a stay-at-home mom to […]

As they say in Texas, if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.
Babyhood is like that—if you don’t like the phase you’re in, wait a minute. The corollary to that is to enjoy the good times and not get too wrapped up in what was or will be. All this is to say, I […]

Last week I heard Erica Jong on the Diane Rehm show. She’s written a book about writing called Seducing the Demon: Writing for My Life. During the interview she talked about writing being something she has to do, otherwise she would go insane. It’s a calling, she said. I do know that I get […]

Excuse me, states *to which* I’ve been… ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.
(Map may take a moment to load)

create your own visited states map
Mamala is here to hang with revbaby while I finish the writing piece for the workshop at the end of the month. Apparently […]

Great News
I heard this week that I was accepted to the writing workshop at Downtown Cathedral. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! I am absolutely thrilled. Now I get to figure out how it’s going to work, but after getting to know baby M over the last month I believe it’s possible, somehow. Of […]

I recently learned of an upcoming workshop at Big Downtown Cathedral, where I have attended many amazing workshops and events.
The workshop is on writing as a pastoral and spiritual practice.
Participants stay on the grounds of the cathedral which gives the week the flavor of a retreat. The group will have about 6 hours a day […]

It’s fun to write something and see it show up in print with one’s name at the top. I’ve had this experience a few times: as a magazine intern in college and as an editor right after graduation, in a preaching journal, in the masthead of a worship resources magazine, and following a couple of […]

Gentle readers, I have been on retreat yesterday and today at the local Dominican Retreat House. A few of you may remember my going back and forth about whether to accept the invitation to write an article for the preaching journal. Well, after my characteristic waffling “huh? me?” (which you can read in all its […]

Sun-shaft on the floor:
“Can I splash in the puddle?”
We nod, and she jumps.
That happened this morning.
Incidentally…
I’ve been writing stuff down since I could write stuff down. And I always enjoyed learning about and writing haiku, even in elementary school.
Does anyone else remember the cinquain? It seems kind of the black sheep of poetic forms. I […]

First and not unexpected, I received a terse yet cordial “no thanks” regarding the magazine submission. Well, that was embarrassingly quick. But I’m not too heart-broken. Perhaps I should save it for its personal historic value? Our family friend who’s had dozens of books published speaks to children’s groups and shows them the stack of […]

I don’t normally have very linear dreams, but the last two nights I have dreamed that I submitted a poem to a particular magazine for publication.
Mmmm-kay.
So tonight, just now, I did. It happened fast. They accept poems by e-mail. Why not? There’s a first time for everything.
Yet I’m freaking a little, because usually when I […]

“Introduction to Poetry”
-Billy Collins
I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide
or press an ear against its hive.
I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,
or walk inside the poem’s room
and feel the walls for a light switch.
I want them to water-ski
across the […]

First, I’m back, and I’m excited to be getting back into a routine. C has been an angel, and I can’t believe I ever left her. I’ve missed reading everyone’s blogs, which I did only in a cursory way last week. I’m excited to hear what everyone’s up to!
Second, I’m excited that this, this, and […]

I love that it’s National Poetry Month. Heck, I love that National Poetry Month exists at all, but there’s something appropriate about it being in April. April is just-Spring, when the world is mud-luscious. April is also the cruelest month. Poetry conveys both sentiments, and everything in between.
When I was in second and third grade, […]