I found Dan Carlin’s The End Is Always Near: Apocalyptic Moments from the Bronze Age Collapse to Nuclear Near Misses in December 2019 at the book fair at my kids’ school, and I picked it up because of the great title and also because in my speculative historical novel characters live under constant fear of…
Category: Personal Essay
Here We Go. Are We Prepared?
Here in Seattle, we’re embarking on a journey that not all of us might survive. A journey with no fixed timeframe and a destination that could only be called “back to normal,” before the times of COVID-19. Ten days ago, our local officials told us to prepare for the disruption of everyday life. I thought…
A Little Bit of Wisdom
I was born with ten fingers and ten toes. My mother was so relieved when she counted them, that she failed to notice that I was born without a national identity.
The Other Side of Fear
I stand on the other side of fear And I’m alive. He isn’t.
When My Blogging Became Spam
Last week, Facebook’s new algorithm determined that posting a link on my timeline to my latest blog post was spam, so it didn’t display the link in anybody’s News Feed, except for the few people who had marked me as their family or close friend. I felt as if I had done something illegal and…
What I Hate About Writing
I’ve rarely found myself on the receiving end of violence, but there have been a few times. One summer day, when I was thirteen, I ventured into the green nursery on the outskirts of my hometown in Romania. The nursery was just outside my apartment window in Galaţi, and it felt safe and familiar, with…
Even When You’ll Become Imaginary?
“I’d like Grandma to stay real for a long time so we can play together.” “She’ll stay real for a very long time, sweetie. Don’t worry about it.” “But if her hair doesn’t turn white all the way, she won’t turn imaginary, right, mommy?”
Simple Thoughts on History and Water
At the edge of the ocean, I think I’m safe as I watch death shimmering before me. The ocean is not death; it’s life, the primordial soup of life. But it would be my death, a few dozen meters out in the open waters.
Four Reasons to Join a Writing Practice Group
First posted on Bob and Jack’s Writing Blog on August 2, 2012. This post refers to the writing practice that starts every Tuesday and Friday at 2:30 p.m. at Louisa’s Café and Bakery in Seattle. We write for 45 minutes with a timer, then break into groups of four and share our work. Update 01/18/2017:…