(Background: My nieces, codenames: Phoenix and Isis, are approaching 2 ½ years old.) Someone discovers an enormous quantity of water inside one of the low kitchen cabinets where the girls have just been playing together. Me: Isis, did you pour the water from your cup into the cabinet? Isis: Yes. Me: Phoenix, did you pour… Read more »
Joe
In Which Some of Us Are 27 Months Old
Kristin bumps her head and says Ow.Codename: Phoenix: Kristin, did you break your crown while you were fetching a pail of water? Codename: Joe is driving the car, at a reasonable pace. Codenames: Phoenix and Isis are in the back seat.Phoenix (screaming): GO FAST! GO FAST!Isis (screaming): SLOW DOWN! SLOW DOWN! I am reading Death… Read more »
A Book Recommendation and a Bank Non-Recommendation
Writers out there: I strongly recommend the book Writing the Other: a Practical Approach, by Nisi Shawl and Cynthia Ward. It’s the companion book to Shawl and Ward’s Writing the Other Workshop. From the workshop website (linked to above): “Are you afraid to write about characters whose racial heritage, sexual orientation, or religion differs from… Read more »
This Is How It’s Done, Take Two
The girls are playing together quietly in the other room. Signs suggest that they intend to keep doing so indefinitely — but it’s 2pm, which is a good nap time, and they aren’t bouncing around with energy, so… well, you might as well try. You pick one up in either arm, stand up (that’s one… Read more »
The Cuteness, It Burns
What used to be birthday week around these parts is now birthday month… because as I approach my 34th birthday, guess who — and who else — is (are?) about to turn one whole year old? That’s secret codename: Phoenix on the left and secret codename: Isis on the right, in a photo taken way… Read more »
A Media Follow-up: Team Diana Comet, Katniss, and Pasha
My post last Thursday spurred some fun reactions from friends and family, so I thought I’d follow up. 1. Did you start The Name of the Rose (by Umberto Eco) next, like you thought you would?No. I started Diana Comet and other Improbable Stories, by Sandra McDonald. I like it! It’s a collection of interconnected… Read more »
Not Dead Yet
So, am I insane if after traveling from Vail to Denver to Seattle to Palo Alto to San Jose to Austin to Houston to Miami to Jacksonville all in one week and doing lots of events and not getting enough sleep, I’m ecstatic that today I’ll be spending the day in a very small house… Read more »
A Letter to My Readers
Dear Readers, Last week, I flew to Florida to meet two new friends. We had lots of fun! We did some eating…. We did some writing…. We hung out. We also had dance parties. Do you realize how many songs lyrics are secretly about babies? For example, “I want a girl with a short diaper… Read more »
New Things… Including a Cover from Denmark
Last week I did something I’ve never done before. Suffice it to say that I’m neither the next Marian nor the next Daine nor the next Katniss (read all those books!), nor was I able to move my left arm for the next two days; nonetheless, I really liked it, and I want to go… Read more »
This Post Is About People
Hellooooooooooo beautiful people! I’m home. I’m still processing the last two weeks, so this post might be scattered. I’ll start in Bologna, where I had dinner in a restored medieval tower with my editors / publishers from Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Finland, and Spain (both Castillan and Catalan), not to mention my wonderful agents… Read more »
