Just got word that Melinda Mitchell, a long-time member of the “Me, Myself & I” memoir-writing class I used to lead at the Chicago Cultural Center, has died. Some of you long time Safe & Sound blog followers might remember Melinda — I wrote about her back in 2014 in a post called Waking Up […]

The Chicago Public Library (CPL) has asked me to lead a free four-part virtual memoir-writing workshop,.and The first class starts Tuesday, September 14 at 2 pm central time. and then at 2 pm every Tuesday up to and including October 5, 2021. You don’t have to be a Chicago resident to register, anyone anywhere can […]

My friend Bill Green can see a little bit. I can’t see at all. The two of us have known each other for years, and a trip to Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood three weeks ago marked the first time we’ve actually worked together. If you call getting a personal tour of Chicago’s new Pullman National Monument […]

Here’s a story with a sad beginning…and a happy ending. A letter I received late last Spring from the good folks at the Chicago StoryCorps booth alerted me to yet another change to accept here in Chicago. Here’s how they broke the news: Dear Beth, We’re writing to share that after eight years at the […]

Starting tomorrow, May 24, all three of the memoir-writing classes I lead will be on summer break. What fun to think of these fully-vaccinated writers visiting and hugging their grandchildren, attending outdoor concerts, visiting museums, meeting friends for coffee, heading to beaches faraway… or beaches right here on Lake Michigan. If there’s one thing we’ve […]