Theory and Practice
-
The Trouble with Writing about an Abusive Parent
If you had to sum up your relationship with one of your parents in a few words, what would you say? I struggle to find a way to convey my childhood experiences with my mother quickly and clearly, so that you, my reader, will have a sense of what happened to me. Where is the… Continue reading
-
Why Writers Should Meditate
Dear writer: In a few moments, I’m going to ask you to close your eyes. Sometimes, the best way to be successful at doing something is to not do it for a while. Imagine you’re tackling a persnickety home maintenance task, for instance. You’re trying to fix a dishwasher that refuses to wash or figure out why… Continue reading
-
If Empathy Can Be Taught, It Should Be
The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism.~Hannah Arendt Close your eyes. I imagine myself saying those words to my college writing students. After giving them an assignment and reminding them of the importance of planning and pre-writing in the composition… Continue reading
-
Family Photographs
After my mother died, a box arrived in the mail. I didn’t go back home to Cumberland, Maryland, to attend her funeral, despite the fact that I was her only child. She had a brother and several nieces and nephews who took care of the arrangements. They cleaned out her house and disposed of her… Continue reading
-
It Happened to Me; It Happens to Others
Shortly after my poetry chapbook, Falling: A Memoir in Verse, was published, I was asked by the university where I taught at the time to give a reading on our campus. I write about difficult subjects. My instincts prod me to face experiences from my past that cause me the most discomfort and to write… Continue reading
-
Finally, an Understandable Definition of “Voice” in Nonfiction
Have you ever noticed how writing experts tend to trip and fumble when they try to explain the concept of voice in nonfiction? They may say that voice is that undefinable something that makes your writing your own. It’s the magic on the page that allows readers to recognize you, the speaker of the text,… Continue reading
Do you write about yourself and your experiences? Do you write about traumatic events in your life? Or, do you struggle to find time and motivation to write?
If so, this blog is for you.
Person on the Page 