A Storm’s Comin’!
The dire weather warnings for this weekend have reminded me of the worst blizzard I ever endured in my hometown of Grand Forks, North Dakota. I was a senior in high school and oblivious of what was going on around me—so, a typical teenager. One Friday night, my two best girlfriends and I decided to […]
Why Birches Are White
by Elena S. Smith, 2006 As we often do when we enjoy an author’s latest novel, we go deeper into their catalog. Such was the case with my decision to read Why Birches Are White—Elena S. Smith’s first book, written in 2006. Elena is a colleague and local Spokane author, and a retired English professor […]
Gluten for Punishment: Just Desserts for the Heartbroken, Lovesick, and Jilted
by Julie Seyler, 2025 Gluten for Punishment is a hybrid memoir/cookbook written by long-time baking blogger (https://twobittart.com) and trained chef Julie Seyler. This Gen-Xer took her real-life stories of dating disasters in the modern world and turned it into a memoir. Sometimes funny, sometimes exasperating, she chronicles five main relationships that start out mostly from […]
F.r.i.e.n.d.s: Secrets and Lies on a Sitcom (vs. Real Life)
I’ve been thinking about sitcoms lately. I’ve never been a big sitcom watcher, but one I did watch religiously was F·r·i·e·n·d·s, right up until the final episode. The writing on that show was so excellent, and unlike a lot of long-running TV shows, it seemed to get better as the show went on. One of […]
Mother Mary Comes to Me
by Arundhati Roy, 2025 I listened to the audio version of this book, Mother Mary Comes to Me, an astounding memoir by an Indian author and former Booker prize winner. The book is listed as one of the New York Times Best 10 Books for 2025 and Goodreads Best Memoir for 2025, among others. Normally I don’t care […]
The Rocky Letters
I received some devastating news this past weekend. After sending an old grad school friend an email birthday greeting, one of many emails I’ve sent the past few months that received no response, I was surprised to get a text not from her, but her husband. “Hi Gail. This is Dave. I saw your email […]
Hiding For My Life: Being Gay in the Navy
by Karen Solt, 2025 Last week, as a member of the National Association of Memoir Writers, I attended our virtual monthly book club where I heard an amazing woman speak about her memoir. She had served in the US Navy for 22 years, closeted as a lesbian sailor for the entire time. She didn’t realize […]
Art and Artifice: Sneak Peak No. 4
[Below is Chapter 7, titled “Life With a Toddler,” from my recently released book, Art and Artifice: A Memoir. You can read Chapter 1 here, Chapter 2 here, and Chapter 3 here. In this sneak peak that follows Chapter 3, I’ve jumped ahead four chapters and about 8 months. Paul and I are now a couple, […]
Art and Artifice: Sneak Peak No. 2
[Below is Chapter 2, titled “A Few Months Earlier,” from my recently released book, Art and Artifice: A Memoir. You can read Chapter 1 here, Chapter 3 here, and Chapter 7 here.] —- In the months leading to the birthday party weekend, a gradual flirtation started to develop between me and a colleague of mine named […]
