Entering Contests

Like many writers, I’ve submitted short stories to contests, hoping that my work would win and fearing that my entry would be far outclassed. But I’ve not entered many contests, mostly because I figured if I had to pay someone to read my work, I’d do better...
The Myth of the Empty Nest

The Myth of the Empty Nest

Last year, my dad downsized from an independent two-bedroom apartment to an assisted two-room suite. This move involved shedding a great deal of Stuff: ancient mattresses went straight to the dump, clothes to a charity thrift store, and books to the library sale. The...

Summer, so brief.

Vermont in the summer: this season that’s so sweaty and so brief.We’re now in the thick of it: steamy days so humid you could squeeze water out of the air if only the weather didn’t drain all the gumption to do anything right out of you. Nevertheless, there’s so much...

Learning to Fish (and Write)

I’m learning to fish as part of a current writing project. The allure is two-fold: First, I’m exploring new ways to be in nature. Fishing – fly-casting, in particular – appeals to me for both its contemplative quality and for its required knowledge of entomology. I...
The Second Time

The Second Time

The last time I hiked Mt. Equinox I’d just finished the first draft of my first novel, and I’d known Tim for less than a week. Last Sunday, we hiked it again, for the second time in thirty-one years.Three decades later, and everything is changed. The trail isn’t what...