It all started in Grand Haven, Michigan Tuesday evening. Poolside cocktails (Bev had rented their community clubhouse for the event), dinner inside afterwards, dessert, my short talk, a Q & A, a writing exercise, and then, big finish: I showed them how I manage to read excerpts of Writing Out Loud at book events without […]

I like promoting my books as much as I like writing them – you meet so many cool new people, and in so many different settings. We had a great turn-out at Women & Children First bookstore last Wednesday (big thanks to all of you who came), and I’m speaking to a group this afternoon […]

My sister Bobbie died a month ago today. Mike wrote a tribute to her after we got home from her memorial service a few weeks ago. Today I’m sharing an excerpt from an essay we published in my newsletter –it’s about how writing helps me remember her. My oldest sister Bobbie got married and moved […]

Writers who are featured in Writing Out Loud come along to book events to read their own published essay from the book, and I am really looking forward to having Regan Burke and John Craib-Cox up in front with me at Women & Children First bookstore in Chicago next week. From the Women & Children […]

During the presentations I’ve been doing about Writing Out Loud I am often asked where I come up with the prompts I use in our memoir-writing classes. My answer? “All over the place!” Here’s an example. After Sam Shepherd died a few weeks ago I listened to a 1998 interview Terry Gross did with him […]