Writing
Where Story Begins: Finding Inspiration in Small, Unexpected Moments
The Moments Where Story Begins As waiting rooms go, this one on the tenth floor of Massachusetts General Hospital in downtown Boston is pleasant. There are tables and chairs, snacks and bottled water, even an espresso machine. I’ve helped myself to water and eaten a small bag of roasted edamame. Now I wait for my…
Read MoreWriting as Refuge: A Journal as a Personal Sanctuary
Writing As Refuge: A Daily Journal Practice Rooted in Ritual and Discipline I started maintaining a journal in graduate school, and now two decades later, writing in my journal is a daily ritual. My day begins with the journal’s blank page and a caffé latte. I savor the blend of creamy milk and the espresso’s…
Read MoreThe Grammar of Silence: Why Silent Moments Say More Than Words
Stillness, Silence, and the Writing Process When I think of silence and its relationship to writing, I think first of the essential role of stillness in my writing process. Stillness allows me to find a calm not accessible elsewhere. It is a quiet that leads to reflection and increases my capacity to listen to an…
Read MoreNurturing a Writing Life: Finding Sanctuary in Words
Answering the Call to a Writing Life At age fifty, I returned to graduate school to pursue an MFA in writing. Desire to pursue something for the sheer pleasure of it rather than professional ambition led me there. At the time my goals were both predictable—to develop and refine my skills as a writer—and also…
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