Sometimes some of us travel to get away. That space—that distance—from our home life offers perspective and breathing room. We get a chance to reflect on what is beautiful and what is broken. Often, …
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Shapeshifting
I feel a shapeshifting coming on...like a slow trickle at the beginning of a landslide after which everything changes...shifts slightly to the left. To the right. The push of a breeze on the small of …
Seize the Rain
"Once you’re wet, there’s no reason to rush..." Late one night I sat on my porch with a few sputtering candles and listened to the wind and rain thinking about how fleeting is time, how fragile, …
A Day In The Life—Karen Leslie
Spalding MFA Alumni Blog, 2017—On this episode of A Day in the Life we meet Summer 2014 graduate Karen (Chronister) Leslie, a fiction and travel writer based in Franklin, Tennessee. When Karen isn’t …
Revisiting Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park
Some places dig deep into our souls. We find "thin places" where the veil between heaven and earth slips aside. It's no wonder we return. Last fall, I traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, after a …
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Soul Surfacing (Or, Apathy Is No One’s Destiny.)
©11/20/14 Funny how certain experiences in life attract apathy. Physical and emotional trauma. Loss. Abuse. Dismantling relationships. Rejection. Loneliness. I’ve been apathetic before, for a few years—and they were the worst years of my life. I disappeared and went through the motions. I don’t remember much about those years. I’ve found receipts and journals from […]
Short Story: Home Run
“Why don’t you want me to touch you?” Sam asked his wife, Mauri, as she curved her body in a subtle concave arch, dodging his hand. He grazed her constantly over the years. A cupped hand in the space between her legs when she reached for a wine glass. Three fingertips brushing across her lower stomach as she washed dishes. A…
Profile: Octavia Peck, Vendor at The Contributor
Where are you from?
I’m a Mississippian. I was raised chopping cotton and picking cotton. My dad owned his own land and I worked for him. We raised cotton and beans, rice, and wheat. I have three sisters and two brothers. I’m the last born…
Packing List—20 Things to Pack for Warm Weather Travel
Packing from a list helps eliminate unnecessary “stuff” in my suitcase. I have packing lists that are specific for warm, cold, and international travel. You might have a camping list, a cruising list, traveling with kids packing list, and a going-to-visit-the-kids list! I’ve curated a new list with warm weather destinations in mind. Your bags won’t pack themselves, but maybe sharing packing lists with you will take the heavy thinking…
How (and Why) to Write a Love List
I know what makes me happy and whole. I also know the list of things I need to thrive is not simply filled with selfish wants—and, those things aren’t solely self-focused. Often, even if an act of self-care starts with a form of isolation, it will press outward in some way in want of connecting with another human being or a higher being. I believe we need downtime alone, with our loved ones, and with the world at large—all of these to thrive. To move out of survival mode. Writing a “Love List” is a good start.
A Writer’s Self-Portrait at Joy Farm (A Nod to Jorge Borges)
A Nod to Jorge Borges—Writing about self, both of them. Joy Farm, poet e.e. cummings’ New Hampshire Summer retreat, is full of mysteries and treasures, winding trails that lead to burnt-out ruins, and a growing collection of literary memorabilia. We are staying at Steep Acres, a three-season cottage on the property. My convives are a […]
