The Crow

5/5/20 update:  The wondrously creative Tracy at Reflections of An Untidy Mind saw my poem and invited me to link to her Corvid 2020 Weekly Challenge #7.  How could I resist?  Please take some time to peruse Tracy's delightful blog and, while you're there, consider participating in her challenge.  Thank you, Tracy dear! Oops.  I'm …

A Walk Through Hell: The Complete Series

A Walk Through Hell: The Complete Series by Garth Ennis, illustrated by Goran Sudzuka.  I rated it 3 of 5 stars, "liked it", on Goodreads and shelved it there as 21st-century, American, fiction, graphic novel, horror, macabre, & supernatural.  You can read a synopsis by clicking the linked title above. I am grateful to Diamond …

You’re Doing Great!

You're Doing Great! And Other Reasons to Stay Alive by Tom Papa.  I rated it 4 of 5 stars, "really liked it", on Goodreads and shelved it there as 21st-century, American, essays, humor, & nonfiction.  You can read a synopsis by clicking on the linked title above. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley …

Thoughts on 2 Books #10

Holy crap, y'all!  I just browsed through my Goodreads "My Books" section and realized I've posted thoughts on 17 books there without also sharing them here.  17!  Shameful!  I deserve a kick in the pants for such a lapse. I was already planning to squeeze in a couple of posts this week, but this delightful …

A Seismic Shift

Via Teresa Grabs' Page & Line Challenge #1 I've been hankerin' to take up Teresa's challenge ever since I saw it last week, but y'all know how it is.  Busy, busy, TORNADO, busy...  Turns out the delay was fortuitous, though, 'cause not only has my story idea had time to percolate & resonate with my particular …

Quality Quotes #9

"To believe that our beliefs are permanent truths which encompass reality is a sad arrogance. To let go of that belief is to find safety." --Ursula K. LeGuin, gloss on chapter 2 of her interpretation of the Tao Te Ching Last week, I complained publicly about the sad state of the truth in modern society.  …

Sick Day

–Via Fandango’s Friday Flashback for 2/28/20.

I posted this short-short story on 2/28/18. It led to a fun collaboration with a couple of fellow Bloggers. I eventually developed it into a proper short story, which to my surprise was published in the 2018 edition of Tennessee’s Emerging Writers. I hope y’all enjoy it, and please let me know what you think!

The Ceaseless Reader Writes

via Daily Prompt: Dim

Word count = 272 / Reading time = less than 1 minute

Hello friends & fellow Bloggers!  I have not posted since last Thursday because I’ve been too busy with work then chaperoning a weekend trip to Georgia for my daughter’s Junior Thespian troupe to the annual conference down there.  I hadn’t expected to post today, either, still having plenty of catch-up to do at the office, but when I saw today’s Daily Post prompt, I decided I could sacrifice half my lunch break because it inspired me to make my first-ever attempt at flash fiction.  At 164 words, I think this qualifies as such.

I hope you enjoy, and please do let me know what you think!

Sick Day

The dim light of a gray dawn failed to elevate my mood as I locked my door then turned toward my car, and a sudden cloudburst…

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Slaying Goliath

Slaying Goliath: The Passionate Resistance to Privatization and the Fight to Save America's Public Schools by Diane Ravitch.  I rated it 4 stars, “really liked it”, on Goodreads and shelved it there as American, educational, history, nonfiction, public institutions, scholarly, and social issues.  You can click the linked title to read the synopsis. It's been …

Provocative Answers #1

--Via Fandango's Provocative Question for 2/26/20 Fandango asks, “What is something you long believed to be true but now realize is not true?” In recent years, I've let go of two long-held beliefs. Letting go of the first, my belief in a god or gods after a years-long, diligent, sincere personal quest, was liberating and …

A Bit (More) About Me #11

--Via Melanie B. Cee's Share Your World for 2/24/20 Q: What do you think of best friends of the opposite sex?  Or to put it another way “Can men and women ever be platonic friends?  Doesn’t sex always get in the way?” A: Yes, men and women can be platonic friends.  I know many people, …