I really shouldn’t have, but I bought this pulp novel on Ebay a week ago and just got it in the mail.–it was just a $1.99. I’m a sucker for these pulps from the 50s/60s–but especially if they’re film tie-ins, like this one: The Best of Everything written by Rona Jaffe. The movie starred Hope [...]

Posted in Movies, books, fiction, shopping, vintage books 1 Comment »

In my attempt to write more often I went to the Brown Bag at San Diego Writers, Ink on Tuesday with Ted. Brown Bag is a 1 hour drop in writing session downtown at the organization where Ted and I teach. It’s from noon to one so we often get folks coming in on their [...]

Posted in fiction, my writing, ted, writers No Comments »

Those who know me know that I LOVE postcards– well, vintage postcards anyway. And, making my own. (more samples on my Flickr page to the right–>) Sometimes my friends, like Peter and Jess, give me old postcards they find or old family postcards–especially Jess, whose family seems to have thousands of them. here’s one.  don’t [...]

Posted in art, collage, crafts, fiction, postcards, writers 2 Comments »

“To write well, to write passionately, to be less inhibited, to be warmer, to be more self-critical, to recognize the power of as well as the force of lust, to write, to love.” ———John Cheever (from The Journals of John Cheever) Been back from my residency in Vermont for two weeks now. Ooof, talk about [...]

Posted in Vermont Studio Center, books, cats, fiction, hermia, my writing, ted, travel, writers 1 Comment »

The last resident reading was Sunday night and I read the opening of my book. I was the first reader of the night and got to show several slides from my research–documents, photos that inform my work. It was a great night, with very positive response from the audience. Very uplifting. I shared the night [...]

Posted in Vermont Studio Center, art, books, fiction, my writing, teaching, writers 1 Comment »

Got four pieces of mail today! Four! Sure beats the one piece of mail I got last Friday (which were my Allergy and Cholesterol Rx’s). Though I did get a lovely care package from Ted two weeks ago (almost done with the JB Ted… hint hint). Thank you to Kelli for the two hilarious cards [...]

Posted in Vermont Studio Center, fiction, my writing, writers 1 Comment »

<–Snow in a can makes a great beer cooler!* Just a quick note. An hour ago was in my studio trying to get the printer to work and then Sarah-smile from upstairs came down to help me and then Abby-pie came over too and we got to talking about love and dating and boys and [...]

Posted in Vermont Studio Center, books, fiction, my writing, poetry, writers 2 Comments »

“Every death is violent.” So began Amy Bloom’s reading of her story “By and By” from her new book (out this month) of stories: Where the God of Love Hangs Out. The story was dark, haunting. About a missing/murdered girl–and those she left behind. About the body and what happens to it in death, after [...]

Posted in Vermont Studio Center, books, fiction, my writing, travel, writers 1 Comment »

In Boston until Sunday, when I go to Vermont. Lovely here– snow fell yesterday and we went to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. I misread the website for the museum– thinking that the Costumes of Edith Head was an exhibit, when in fact it is a film series. So we walked around the [...]

Posted in Vermont Studio Center, books, fiction, my family, ted, travel, writers 1 Comment »

It’s writer Mary Gordon’s birthday today. (picture from Random House). Mary Gordon was one of my favorite teachers during my MFA. She was generous, honest, and so precise in her feedback. She also made you feel like you were a friend to her. I loved visiting her apartment on the Upper West Side and chatting [...]

Posted in books, fiction, nonfiction, writers 1 Comment »