Author Archives: Drema Drudge

Dear Reader, Word Raccoon found a slipper to write with as she left a meeting today, and she put it in her book bag along with her journal. Both of the journals. She gets it. She gets it. She will put it back on her shelf. Afterwards, she went to a musical performance and wasContinue reading “Slipping Columns”

Dear Reader, Word Raccoon and I have been discussing our reading for 2027. I have noticed we have more books than currently fit our shelves. WR doesn’t care, but I do. So we have a 2027 reading policy: we are buying no new books and are not checking out books from the library unless theContinue reading “2027 Reading Policy”

Dear Reader, I recently ran across a video in which Bill Murray talks about being discouraged and hopeless after what he considered a bad performance. He wandered Chicago, going the opposite direction from what he intended, until he ran into The Art Institute. Being drawn inside, he stood in front of the painting The SongContinue reading “The Song of the Lark”

Dear Reader, I’m about a third of the way through The Historian. I’m taking my time with it. Word Raccoon read eagerly beside me today. When we arrived in Istanbul in the novel and she read the description of Hagia Sophia, she jumped up and down and begged me to look for photos online. IContinue reading “The Masterplan for a Saturday”

Dear Reader, It’s inevitable that every time Word Raccoon interacts with or reads another artist’s words, she will be sparked into action. This morning, when she couldn’t sleep, she wandered onto her Kindle app and rediscovered the Isabel Allende book she’s reading, Story Telling: A Writing Life. Turns out WR forgot for a moment thatContinue reading “Do Writers Have Weekends and Other Musings”

Dear Reader, It’s still fairly early yet, I suppose, but Word Raccoon managed to get sidetracked this afternoon and I just don’t know if I can get her back on course. She was supposed to be writing, but did she? Nay, nay. Instead, with one innocent question: What are we doing on (such and suchContinue reading “The Writing Retreat Conceit”

Dear, Dear Reader, First of all, Word Raccoon and I received a poetry acceptance! Ink of Genesis Literary Journal has accepted my poem “I Have No Beef with God” for an upcoming issue. Yes, you read that correctly. A poem in which I suggest (redacted, redacted) has found a home in a journal called InkContinue reading “Word Raccoon Eats All the Pumpkin Yogurt Pretzels”

Dear Reader, Must every exceptional writing day be followed by one that refuses to allow even a moment of writing time?  The interruptions were all important, even top priority, but irritation piled upon interruption. Worry upon concern.  Taken separately, no big deal. But together…oy.  Anyway, here Word Raccoon and I are, eager to put theContinue reading “Hopelessly Devoted to Squirrels”

Dear Reader, Today has been mostly novel. Novel writing, that is.  Word Raccoon’s morning oatmeal requires ¾ cup of water, her usual measuring cup was dirty today, and she was not awake enough to futz back and forth between four and eight ounces in the larger measuring cup because the cup did not have aContinue reading “Revisions and Oatmeal”

Dear Reader, Across the street the neighbor’s college-aged daughter is sprawling on a plaid blanket with her boyfriend, carving pumpkins which are sitting on tree stumps.  I’m actually on the porch swing so I can only see them if I turn, because I don’t want them to feel like I’m staring at them. Which I’mContinue reading “Falling Slowly”