Five Years a Writer

There is no executive order and sharpie signature for the arts.  There is only hard work and persistence  to create imaginative responses to the world in which we live.  That is why The Valiant Theatre crew is back with our second fundraising event  on Saturday February 8th -- an evening of eclectic local talent,  ranging from improv theatre to singer songwriters  and sitar players.  To me, it will all be new. But what will feel like coming home is the energy of the artists transporting the audience into an evening-long world where joy exists by  creating music and laughter, comedy and joy -- together.  UPDATE : We have raised just over $30,000 of the (minimum) $100,000 we need to bring 376 Logan Avenue back to life. We continue to do the hard work of trudging through City permits and engineer reports; oh, what artists must do to have a community place to perform! We are committed to checking off every last detail before opening the doors t...

Friday morning was dark and cold when I got up extra early, thanks to Holly, the cat, wanting a pre-dawn feeding. At almost seventeen years of age, she is not to be ignored when she yowls and I indulge her needs. I feed her, then make my first cup of tea and see what of interest might have landed in my email inbox overnight.   On this Friday morning, I was happy to see a link to a writing podcast that I often don’t make the time to listen to. The topic caught my attention as it is rare to hear anyone discuss it: the special place of handbooks in the writing and publishing world. Of particular interest to me as, a couple of summers ago, I drafted a handbook titled “How to be a Writer in Four Steps” that offers my best thoughts on how to establish a writing practice based on my own experience doing precisely that over the past few years. The manuscript currently sits at draft 14, in a 3-ring binder on my bookshelf. Maybe this podcast would inspire me to take it down and dust it off. ...