Death is the last frontier in so many ways. In my circles, even friends who talk about sex, politics, and that most forbidden of topics, paychecks, rarely talk about the nitty gritty of death. That’s something we save for our own private hells or heavens. “I plunge my finger between the folds of the incision, … Read more
How does a writer, working alone, manage isolation? The initial spark of a novel and putting words to paper is a solitary thing—but even introverted authors need a band of brothers or sisters. Come hear the secrets of … Read more
With every listen, the Trump sex assault tape sounds worse. Every syllable engenders feelings of being small and wretched and humiliated. I search for the genesis of these emotions, for the source of my desire to curl up into an invisible ball. And the truths wash in: The time my neighbor’s boyfriend covered my six-year-old … Read more
The Massachusetts Center for the Book has chosen Accidents of Marriage as a “Must Read” book for 2015! It’s in wonderful company–you can see the full list for the fiction category here. Along with the other books on the list, Accidents of Marriage is shortlisted for the Massachusetts Book Award, which recognizes “compelling works of Massachusetts fiction, nonfiction, … Read more
When it comes to criticism from my writer’s group, I need to hear or read the same idea two, three, or four times before I can incorporate it into my work-in-progress. Months after arguing with my fellow writers, (so blind! so ignorant!) I re-read their notes and am struck by wisdom where I formerly saw … Read more