(When life feels like) A Dystopian novel

Many in the Northeast agree that the foliage this autumn has been spectacular. The vivid colors, frequently set off by a background bright blue sky, have been dazzling. I’ve reveled in nature’s garishness, spending as much time as possible outdoors, but underneath my joy there’s been a consistent competing emotion - a sense of foreboding. … Continue reading (When life feels like) A Dystopian novel

CivMix Recap – January ‘22 edition

There’s nothing like looking back on a couple of months of writing to remind me of the active life I lead. Check out the links below for ideas and inspiration for your own recreational activities. Winter would be a wonderful season to hike up Overlook Mountain - no rattlesnakes and views for miles. Successfully navigating … Continue reading CivMix Recap – January ‘22 edition

In the realm of my senses – sort of

Did you ever see the film In the Realm of the Senses? I went to see it a million years ago at The Spectrum Theater. I was an undergrad at the time and my philosophy professor offered credit for going to see the film (and it’s most definitely a film and not a movie), which … Continue reading In the realm of my senses – sort of

Bitches Brew, or the women in my life

2021 was a weird one, friends. The promise with which it began quickly devolved into chaos within the new year’s first week.  Things after that, to me, never quite seemed real.  Seriously, on more than one occasion, I caught myself dating correspondence or banking paperwork as the previous year, 2020.   It was almost as … Continue reading Bitches Brew, or the women in my life

Punching Bag

Perhaps you remember the post I wrote about Rex Ogle’s memoir Free Lunch. That book centered on the year Rex was in 6th grade and detailed the physical, verbal and emotional abuse he suffered while living as a child with his mother, stepfather and younger brother. While I’ve never been physically abused, the book landed … Continue reading Punching Bag

Rex Ogle is my spirit animal

When I first encountered the book Free Lunch, I never imagined the slim volume relating the author’s experiences as a sixth grade student in Texas would revive so many of my own elementary feelings, if not experiences. In the work, published in 2019 and awarded the ALA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction medal, Ogle shares … Continue reading Rex Ogle is my spirit animal

Latest loves, 2.21

Listening to Bonnie Raitt, circa 1989. The anticipation of date night at a Ric Orlando pop up event for lovers down by the river in Greene County. The idea to give away weeded books, (two to a bag, with craft supplies to make a valentine), and call them “Blind Date Bookbags, resulting in all 21 … Continue reading Latest loves, 2.21