“When I heard you were moving here, I asked why you would leave your wonderful place in Chicago with that marvelous view.” Oh my. I’ve heard similar exclamations from my Chicago friends, but this was the first time in my soon-to-be new hometown of Sioux Falls. From another grandma, no less. We were there last …
Continue reading Growing Older: The Move (2) – Anecdote on Books and Purses
"Pardon me," said the well-dressed older man. "But could you tell me when this festival got so big? Last time I was here, there were only a few tents. And today," he paused, his smile wide, "this is huge, and so many people." So began a conversation with a visitor from the East Coast last …
Continue reading Why Caring Lessons Goes to Printers Row Lit Fest
Rook Creek Books Presents: Blake Hausladen & guest authors Lois Hoitenga Roelofs, Laura Enright, Frank Heiberger, Rachel E. Kelly, Florence Osmund, Norma Niemi Lundstrom, Mary Carter, Timm Holt, Tawn Krakowski, Janina Rusiecki, Bill Kennedy, Tyler Coulson, Victoria Noe, Lenore Janecek, Hope Russell Nunki, & Caroline Lee! Chicago Tribune Printers Row Lit Fest June 6-7, 10 …
Continue reading Caring Lessons at Printers Row – Saturday, June 6, 2015, 10-2
Thanks to Jan Weissmiller, poet and co-owner of Prairie Lights, Caring Lessons: A Nursing Professor's Journey of Faith and Self will soon be shelved in this much-loved independent bookstore in Iowa City. When I attend the Iowa Summer Writing Festival, as I did last week, I hang out at Prairie Lights between classes and evenings. You'd …
Continue reading Caring Lessons / Prairie Lights / Iowa City / 2014
I’d never heard of memoir as triologue before I attended the Festival of Faith & Writing at Calvin College a few weeks ago. In a session led by three memoirists, Luci Shaw, noted poet, said she liked to think of memoir as a triologue between the writer, God, and the reader. Most of the session …
As a response to Part I and Part 2 of this series about suffering, I was comforted yesterday to see the "final answer" to our earthly suffering in the form of our Prayer of Confession written in our church bulletin: Holy God, so many times you have approached us, and we have turned away, You …
Continue reading What are you willing to suffer for? Part 3 – Final Answer
I asked this question last time based on reading Daniel Taylor’s words that he could tell what our passion was by how we answered this question. Passion is a concept that I’ve discussed often with one of my sisters since we’ve retired. In our working years, we both knew what our passion was. Teaching. We …
A scintillating question. When I read this, I really had to think. I’m gearing up to attend the Calvin College Faith & Writing Festival in April, and I like to read some of the authors ahead of time. Thanks to my Kindle, I’ve downloaded a dozen samples, and I’m getting more revved up to go …
Grab. Grab. And grab some more. Last time I talked about the “grab” of first sentences in short stories. Today, it’s about the “grab” in first sentences of sermons. I’m saving a collection of both for when I get to “the home” someday. Following my mother’s example, I want a collection of reading material ready. …
“The convent was gone, burned to the ground in a kitchen fire years ago.”1 Would you like to read a short story that begins with this sentence? Writing courses and journals stress the importance of first sentences. They have to have “grab." They have to make the reader want to read on. Every Sunday, I …
Continue reading Grab. Grab. Grab. How grabby are your first sentences?
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