Category Archives: Writing

Now Playing: These Arms of Mine by Otis Redding. Ah, Otis! All the Otis! She’s on a break, Neal. She needs a break. (Quote from Dirty Dancing. The song above was used in the movie, too.) Yesterday morning, Word Raccoon was fully in charge, sticking up her middle finger at the world. She was overContinue reading “Word Raccoon’s Day Off”

Now Playing: The Argument I Had with Myself About Accidentally Writing a Song The rain has passed. It’s cooled enough that I’m back on the porch, writing. My street is quiet except for the sound of children a street over, and the sound of birds wondering if it’s time for me to wind down. IContinue reading “Broadway Called. (Not Really.) I Hung Up. (…Then Called Back. Maybe.)”

🎧 Now Playing: “Work Bitch” by Britney Spears Since mid-April, I’ve written over 200 poems. I know, right? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? I’m not saying they’re all A+. Some are skeletal. Some are decent. A few make Word Raccoon buzz so much she can’t sleep. Which is to say, she slides them under her pillow.Continue reading “Do Not Pass Me By (Or Do. Up to You. It’s a Hymn.)”

Word Raccoon has been submitting poetry in this heat, no less. Big cheers to her! She submitted to, I think, three journals, and that after she woke me at like 1:30 am and said we needed to talk. I followed her downstairs where she insisted on Coke Zero at that ungodly hour and I toldContinue reading “All of the Things, Some of them Interesting”

What do you write about when you’ve spent all day with Wordsworth in a warm café and your brain is fried and you’re not ready to share your thoughts on his work? His words are heady; they are muddled by the heat, and you want to taste them line by line, but your fevered notesContinue reading “SAVE DRAFT (No Title Intended)”

Now Playing: “Brave” by Sara Bareilles. Because my heart apparently doesn’t think I’m brave enough and dear god, what would it have me do next? I cannot write any braver. I’m about to roll up my scroll and go home. Saturday’s fundraiser left both me and Word Raccoon, my writing sidekick, with burnt noses andContinue reading “Of Books and Burnt Noses”

Now Playing: Checkered Past Word Raccoon was up before six. Was she writing? No…Was she reading? Wrong again.  Silly raccoon ordered breakfast and went to fetch it. She had to brake for a squirrel, though she checked her rearview first to be sure it was safe.  She also swerved to scribble a couple of ideasContinue reading “Interchangeable Tattoos”

Now Playing: Jane Austen’s Bookshelf (It’s on Libby, and I requested both it and the eBook, and this is what I ended up with. Not that I’m complaining about it.) I think we’re still on the introduction, and it’s one of those “Do I have any closets that need cleaning out for hours or shouldContinue reading “Quiet on the Set!”

Now playing: Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson. Because sometimes you need music that whispers, even if every song sounds pretty much the same and his music is like a warm hoodie for your brain and if you need more of an explanation you just haven’t heard his music ever. And don’t fight me on thisContinue reading “Please Do Not Adjust Your Set”

Now Playing: Don’t Stop Me Now, Queen Go get ‘em, Freddie! Put that on repeat and your day will be made. Y’all, I’ve felt rough the past few days, but today? Better.Maybe it’s the caffeine, the breeze on the café porch, or the mercy of the rain finally moving on. (I love rain, just notContinue reading “Word Raccoon Unlocks New Superpower”