• Phantom Phone Syndrome

    A few weeks ago, I forgot my phone at home when I left for a four day conference. FOUR DAYS. You know I didn’t mean to do that. You know our cell phones are now an extension of our bodies. You know when you don’t have it, you feel discombobulated– like something is off. You feel naked,…

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  • First World Problems

    My biggest complaint right this minute is broken fingernails. I’ve been trying to grow my nails out, to get them all even, so I could get a no-chip manicure that will cost me thirty-five dollars, only last two weeks because that’s what nails do, they grow, then I’ll be irritated that I have to go…

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  • The “In” Crowd!

    I’m in with the “In” crowd I go where the “In” crowd goes I’m in with the “In” crowd And I know what the “In” crowd knows Sure, my friends and I are smart and cool and tons of fun, but in this case, “In” is short for Institute, as in the UW-Madison Writers’ Institute. This year’s…

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  • Word of Artists 2!

    One of the best things about organizing Word of Art 2 is the built-in breakdown of deadlines. First, we collected Word submissions. Next, we posted them for reading. Now the artists get to select their choice of story or poem to create Art on a 16×20 canvas. It’s a lot of hurry up and wait… and…

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  • I consider myself pretty low maintenance. I get my hair cut maybe twice a year. And usually only on impulse. I decided to get a haircut Friday. Seemed like a good idea, I could use a trim, it’d been several months, and I do have the Institute to prepare for this weekend. As I was pulling into the salon…

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  • Happy New Year!

    Now, to me, is the beginning of the new year. If you live someplace like California, it’s really easy to make a resolution to begin your year in January with an anticipatory to-do list. Hangover aside, the first day of YOUR new year is probably warm and sunny, lending itself to keeping those resolutions. But…

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  • I think it’s funny how people my age, and I mean exactly my age, are offended when I reference myself as fifty. I’m not fifty, I’m forty-eight, but really, at this point, what’s the difference? Two years! I’m told in squeaky voices of denial. So, I’m not fifty. But I’m still getting old. I’ve been…

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  • Bad News

    As we were sitting at the table last week reading papers, discussing world politics and planning our TGIWednesday, Dave asked me, “Do you want to know the bad news now?” A million horrible thoughts exploded in my head.  Anyone with knowledge of what we’ve been going through for the past year and a half has to…

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  • Heard any good jokes lately?

    Heard any good jokes lately? Heard any great jokes? What makes a joke great? I think it’s all about the context. Who’s telling the joke, where they’re telling the joke, why they’re telling the joke, and who they’re telling the joke to. This blog is rated D, L, S for Suggestive dialogue, Coarse language, and Sexual…

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  • Word of Art TWO!

    Word of Art TWO!

    WORD of ART 2 is our second collaboration of authors and artists. This is how it works: Authors submit stories (see rules below), we post those submissions online and invite artists to select a story that inspires them. The artists then create a canvas to accompany the words. A hard cover, full-color book with both word and art is…

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