Great read:

My daughter gave me Kelly Corrigan's The Middle Place for Christmas and boy-oh-boy did I ever enjoy it. So good, so good! It's fresh, witty, smart, engaging, honest... did I mention fresh?

I've found that, as a writer, it's hard to read for pleasure, I mean really let go and simply lose myself in the story because there's always a part of my brain on the lookout: analyzing, editing, acknowledging. My brain sent up flares right from the get-go: pay attention, there's some really great stuff going on here!

The format is one chapter in the now, dealing with breast cancer, and one chapter in the past, showing us high school dances, going off to college, getting married. Back and forth we go and, at first, as a reader, I inwardly groaned when the "now" chapter ended because that's where I wanted to stay -- I wanted to keep going with that thread, wanted to see the details of cancer, see the nitty-gritty of it. But my groaning wasn't a full-on groan, more like a sigh, and even then, by the third switch I'd started to welcome the unfolding of the past. The past is important, of course, as it informs the present. And the two are interwoven masterfully here.

If this book isn't already on your to-read list, add it!

Never Let Them Think You Don't

I'm thrilled to share the news that my short-short Never Let Them Think You Don't is live at Prime Number Magazine. I'm honored to be included among such talented folks.

Record snowfall

It's been crazy around here... the epic storm that's been trudging its way across the country dumped 24 inches of snow here. HERE, where the average annual snowfall is a measly 50 inches. And, during the process, we set 2 records: the 24 hour snowfall (24 inches) and the 48 hour snowfall (26 inches). I don't think I've ever seen that much snow fall at one time. It's really pretty amazing to see. Not so amazing to have to shovel, and now, of course, I'm sore in places I didn't know existed.

Here's the view from inside our garage:



Outside one of the bedrooms, the snow nearly reaches the eaves:

Great read:

I've just finished Aryn Kyle's collection Boys and Girls Like You and Me and, wow, it was fantastic.... and sublime and wondrous. I loved it. I took my time, savoring each story, delighting in how each made me feel: inspired, alive, connected to something larger than myself. I thoroughly enjoyed each one and the collection as a whole. My favorites: Economics, Take Care, Allegiance, Boys and Girls Like You and Me.

If you haven't read this yet, do. Rent, borrow or buy it: you'll love it.