I’ve been thinking about character. Something the Australian Tyson Yunkaporta wrote in his book Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World sticks with me as a truth. He wrote: “As usual, I seek the most insightful knowledge in the most marginalized point of view.” Yes. The most insightful knowledge can be expressed by … Continue reading On Character (Spoiler Alert: Chef’s Table BBQ on Netflix)
Writing
In Search of the Mountain Witch
Sometimes you try to keep things a secret but the Universe has other plans. Over the past few months, while working on a novel set in my birthplace of Jamaica and weaving in some ancestry stories, I created a character out of my imagination. This character was a woman who loved birds and had a room full of birds... (Read more by clicking on title)
‘Coven Up’ and 7 other things a Newbie learned at AWP
When the largest literary festival dropped into town last week it seemed ridiculous to not go. I was a newbie to the AWP Conference and Book Fair though I had heard about the Association of Writers and Writing Programs since my days in undergrad. I wasn’t quite prepared energetically to mingle with the reportedly 15,000 … Continue reading ‘Coven Up’ and 7 other things a Newbie learned at AWP
The Inner Critic Wants Something
A year ago I made a commitment to just show up each morning and paint before anything else. Why did I do that? It was an act of surrender. Surrender to the realization that painting, more than anything else I did, moved my energy and gave me a sense of freedom and joy. Painting teaches … Continue reading The Inner Critic Wants Something
8 things I learned at the Kauai Writers Conference
Christina Baker Kline (The Orphan Train) and Kristin Hannah (The Nightingale) are . . . EVERYTHING! Christina created the awesome masterclass ‘Turning Life into Art’ and brought in her pals Kristin Hannah (if you have not read The Nightingale run right out and read this amazing WWII story of feminine resilience and heroism before the … Continue reading 8 things I learned at the Kauai Writers Conference