I am just home from the most unexpected three-day experience in Switzerland – sixteen years of living in this country – I’ve never seen anything quite like it. A literary festival featuring American writers in Oron-la-Ville – not far from Savigny, a rural area where I take my dog to sta...

A week ago in Portugal, I attended Robert Olen Butler’s workshop at the 15th International Conference on the Short Story in English. (Google it. Truly remarkable thing, every two years... ok, wait – here). He sat at ...

I’ve got thick skin! After thousands of rejections on my way to various publications, I’ve developed a pretty good ability to constructively receive criticism of all kinds. I’m no scaredy cat. Still, every time you step up to ask for feedback on your creative work, you have to suck ...

Last day of 2016 – time to throw in the towel. According to Goodreads, I’m four books shy of my reading goal, and although I’m actually in the middle of five books, I’m not going to rush to finish any of them. Having been whacked over the head way too many times recently by the word CONTENT, my New Year’s Resolu...

Turkey Day. No turkey for me, but huge, humongous gratitude. First of all, I married my guy on Thanksgiving Day, 25 years ago, and that’s the utmost. He’s on his way home this weekend, and I’m grateful that he’ll be here, and grateful that we have figured out a way to mak...

Conflation of Asides.

I’ve been insane with abundance. I’ve got 20 minutes before my great friend, great writer friend, I might say, but great friend Michelle and her husband are due to pick me up to go out for Thai food at the place that once gave me all the purple orchids from their tables because it was my birthday, and I love that place, and it’s right next door to the King Size pub w...

Some people believe there’s no such thing as too much information, but I’d say it depends on the category. For example, I love a certain level of gross. Last week at my folks’ house in California we had Jake the awesome pesticide guy help us out with what we lear...

Sequence is a big part of consequence.  That line, or one like it, certainly that concept, is from Ali Smith’s first essay “On Time” in ‘Artful.&...

Reverse it.

Talked to my brilliant, brilliant (truly genius) expat friend who went to Stanford B-school, and she gave me an awesome tip. Flip it up and reverse it.

Now if you haven’t clicked it yet, click Missy...

Writers know there are always two stories, at least -- one on the surface, and a more important one that lies deeper. Novels, short story, flash fiction, and even (especially!) poetry.  A quick reading reveals one thing, whereas a deeper, more careful and thorough review reveals much more. In English lit classes, they actually call that proce...