Mardi Gras 2025

One of the things I love about living in New Orleans is that no matter how frightening the world gets, the people here make time to celebrate all that’s good and beautiful. Mardi Gras is a citywide but still homegrown party put on by locals (no corporate sponsors!) for anyone who wants to join the…Continue reading Mardi Gras 2025

The losing team

The college women’s basketball playoffs were incredible this past week. I am not usually much of a sports fan but local enthusiasm for LSU’s team in the Final Four was contagious. The players’ athleticism and teamwork bordered on the magical, and I loved their stylistic expressions on and off the court. My sports-minded family and…Continue reading The losing team

Summer school

Typing away at my desk can sometimes feel like creating in a bubble, so when a couple of writing courses crossed my inbox, I decided to go for it. So far, I am exploring new skill sets and meeting new writing friends, so I feel like I’m off to a good start. The WOW! Women…Continue reading Summer school

Celebrating spring, writerly style

It took a while, but I finished a draft of a novel! Woot! While it rests–and I gather courage to show it to readers–I am taking advantage of book and literary festivals happening here in New Orleans. Because all writing and no reading makes for a dull me! I recently enjoyed the New Orleans Book…Continue reading Celebrating spring, writerly style

Wintry fun in Wisconsin

We took the train from New Orleans to Chicago, an overall pleasant experience–more spacious than a plane, and less stressful than driving–though we rattled around much more than I remembered, and none of us slept in our coach seats despite the 19-hour trip (plus 5 for a freight-train accident ahead of us). When we finally…Continue reading Wintry fun in Wisconsin