I've been working on an essay about outrage, which seemed appropriate for this last year or more--I've been writing it ever since Donald Trump was elected again in November 2024. Or probably sooner, during the run-up to that election. I was satisfied with my inquiry into how I could be outraged by a neighbor, comparing that to what was happening nationally and berating myself for not saving my anger for bigger things. And then Minneapolis happened and things ramped up. My ess

I recently published an article on Still Here Magazine. It's a piece of memoir about my son and his wife, who passed away from breast cancer at the age of 34. Here is the first part of the memoir. Download the Issue ONE to continue reading my story. See page 16 of the PDF document (which is page 10 of the magazine). Old Love, New Love When my cell phone rings and I see it is my son, Colin, I tense in my office chair and swivel to face the window. I want to see the tops of the

Although emotional realism is more often thought of as relevant to film and literary works of fiction, it is a critical approach to the writing of memoir. Memoirs tell personal stories that involve the narrator as a character, and, by necessity, involve family, friends, co-workers, and other people in the memoirists’ lives.  A memoir proposes to take the reader on an emotional journey through a specific period of the narrator’s life or a series of events that have challenged

I can't say enough about Diana Spechler and the direction she's given me as a mentor with my writing. She was very instrumental in my completing my novel, "The Retreat" which I'm now shopping (for an agent!) She has a wonderful substack and gives writing prompts every month. Check out her "Dispatches From the Road" here: https://open.substack.com/pub/dianaspechler/p/travel-advice-from-the-heart?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Steve Almond led a 2 1/2 hour workshop, "Crushing It: Why Desire Placed in Doubt = Story" He encouraged us not to be timid with our characters, to get to the deepest hurt, to stop protecting our character (and ourselves) from the uncontrollable emotions. Then we free wrote about a crush we've had and got to read and get feedback on our writing. Check out Steve's website and a course he's offering in February 2026! https://stevealmondjoy.org/ Here is a link to four generative

I was asked to write something about memoir and emotional realism, and it is now published. What makes a memoir successful is the emotional realism, the relatable exploration of the human condition and our ability to connect with the full experience of the narrator’s life. I loved writing about this! https://stillheremagazine.com/2025/11/02/emotional-realism-and-memoir/

I'm happy to have a personal essay out now in Still Here Magazine about my son and his beautiful, smart, and much-loved wife, April, who...

I just graduated! Again! It might seem superfluous for someone who already has a Ph.D. and another Master's degree (Social Work!), but I...

What are the earliest things you remember? Some people I've talked to can pull up things that happened when they were so young, I wonder...

When did I start dreaming as a writer? I woke up this morning, as I do many mornings now, with a word in mind, a beginning of a sentence....

I gave my heart to books at age 5 in New Castle, Delaware, walking from my house on 5th Street to the little library on . . . 3rd? 2nd? I...