I write. I make art. I also send my son to speed skate competitions. My son hopes to attend the national speed skating competition this summer. With hard work, good luck, and a little help from the friends far and wide, we might raise the money to send him to Lincoln, Nebraska where he'll skate …
It's that holiday again. Every holiday seems to come with issues, right? New Year's Day has its resolutions and people who mock resolutions. It makes Facebook hit us with the-year-in-review, which for some folks is more of a reminder-of-heartache-loss-and failure. Thanks, FB! Valentine's Day makes some lovers happy, makes some lovers guilty (gifts? argh!), and …
Against my better judgment, I'm participating in Story-a-Day May again this year. (If you're giving it a try, let me know!) I love Story-a-Day because it motivates me. I like the pressure. It's why I like NaNoWriMo as well. With no pressure, I'll just sit and stare into space, dismissing every idea and distracting myself …
I didn't know that much about Ann Richards while she was governor of Texas. I'm not from Texas, after all. I learned about her from my husband. When I met my husband-to-be, he had a picture of himself standing with Ann, a picture we still have and display. She was a strong leader with a …
Hermione Granger stood up for the weak. She helped. She fought the good fight. Clara Barton did the same. In 1881 Ms. Barton founded the Red Cross. The suffering of soldiers in the Civil War didn't just distress her, it moved her to action. She had leadership skills and charisma and never thought of herself …
What's on your mind today? I've been thinking about my work-in-progress. Well, I have multiple WIPs. Right now I'm focused on a sci-fi fairy tale. I want to finish the manuscript, go back to my Fairy Tale Asylum story and then to drafts of other stories. So many stories fluttering around in my head. I've …
Have you heard of Admiral Grace Hopper? I hadn't until a few months back when a friend mentioned her. It's a shame because she seems quite remarkable. She was smart, of course. She standardized computer languages and she went on to encourage young people to learn computer programing. She became an rear admiral! She worked …
Do you remember The Yellow Wallpaper? I only half understood it when I read it as a teenager. Charlotte Perkins Gilman believed in equality for women. She argued women could lead independent lives and men should help with the housework. These were radical ideas for her time. She also struggled with depression and her famous short story …
Continue reading The Hermione Tarot: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Over the years, I've attempted a few handmade books. I love the idea of them, though they seem most impractical, impossible to sell and strange to give away. They take hours to make, no matter the design. And that's just making the book, never mind writing the story within. The materials aren't free. Anyone with …
I remember many moons ago, in those childhood days, seeing pictures of Ruby Bridges and other children walking through a sea of hate simply to go to school. I wasn't that shocked to see adults acting like monsters. Monsters had already made their presence known in my own life by then. But all the same, …
Marta Bacon 