Saying goodbye is never easy. Six years ago, I faced a tough decision. Well, tough for me. I had to decide if I was going to attend the Iowa Summer Writer's Workshop or accept a job at a new magazine. I opted for the later. As much as I wanted to go to Iowa -- attending that prestigious writing program is still a dream -- I couldn't pass up full-time employment to spend the summer writing amidst cornfields. So I chose the practical option. And I haven't regretted that decision for one single moment (but I did frame my acceptance letter from the University of Iowa). However, today, I'm saying goodbye to Maryland Life magazine. Not because I want to but because I have to. Today, Maryland Life magazine will cease publication. I am sad. That's for certain. I've shed many tears and will probably shed a few more. I have loved this job. Correction: I LOVE this job. It's my passion. I get to write and edit and travel and be creative. Its been a dream. What … [Read more...]
Zooma Annapolis The PR That Wasn’t
When I crossed the finish line of the Zooma Annapolis 10K, the time clock screamed 1:14. I didn't know what my chip time was yet but I was hopeful that I squeaked out a PR by mere seconds. I completed my first 10K in 1:13. You can imagine my glee when I checked Facebook and saw that my time was 1:11. I had shaved two whole minutes off my time for a PR! I was floating on the humid air. Then, a few days later, I got The Email. We, the runners, were misdirected along the course, which resulted in the course being a quarter mile short of a 10K. Bye-bye PR. I was disappointed -- who wouldn't be? -- but I wasn't upset. It actually made sense. It was a hot day. I stopped several times to take photos and at least once to walk the hilly bridge that was the turn around point. I wondered why I didn't see mile marker three and why there were only two water stops along the course on such a hot and humid day. No PR just made more sense. I still ran a great race and look … [Read more...]
Writing Advice From Alice McDermott
I recently attended the Washington Independent Review's first annual Books Alive conference. One of the many speakers in attendance was award-winning author Alice McDermott. In college, I read Charming Billy, for which McDermott won an American Book Award and the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction, and loved it. I grabbed a seat at one of the front tables in her breakout session, "What's Novel About the Novel?" I dream of being a novelist, after all. Someone asked the panel a question that I don't exactly remember. But Alice McDermott's response stuck with me. She shared writing advice that resonated with her when she was trying to write and raise small children -- a boat I find myself I at the moment. I'll paraphrase: As soon as your children have left for school or daycare or for grandma's house, clear off your kitchen table with one sweep of your arm (she animated by making a sweeping motion with her arm) and get to work writing. Don't stop … [Read more...]
Those We Love Most
The day I received Those We Love Most, a novel by Lee Woodruff about what happens to a family after a child dies, I devoured the first five chapters. I probably would have read more had it not been so late at night. The very next day, a two-year-old girl died after she was accidentally run over in the parking lot at a local park. The irony. In January, two young girls died in a house fire. My community is mourning. And my heartbreaks for the parents. I don't ever want to know that pain. Ever. So I'm trying to be more present in my own life, to appreciate the moment I'm in rather than looking -- and worrying -- too far ahead. It's not easy. As I write this, the light of a Wednesday evening is fading, my son is pushing his sister in her swing in the backyard, and she is giggling into the breeze. I know moments like this are fleeting; I try to soak them in whenever I can. Which moments would you seal up in a bottle if you could? This post was inspired by … [Read more...]
Raising Cubby
On a recent training run for Saturday's half marathon -- my first -- I described the opening scene from Raising Cubby to my running partner who works with special needs students. "Yep, I have a student like that," she responded. (I assume she was nodding in agreement but I tend to look at the road ahead when running.) I was honestly baffled. This is a world I do not live in. But, that's also why I wanted to read this book. I wanted to understand it. Alas, with training for a half marathon, working a full-time job and raising two food allergy kids (a different kind of special needs), I just haven't had the time to read more than the first chapter. What are you busy reading? This post was inspired by Raising Cubby: A Father and Son’s Adventures with Asperger’s, Trains, Tractors, and High Explosives by John Elder Robison. Parenting is a challenging job, but what challenges does a parent with Asperger's face? Join From Left to Write on March 12 as we discuss Raising … [Read more...]
