Wrapping Up A LifeA good writer friend calls me a “completionist” because I insist on finishing a piece of writing even when I know it isn’t any good…Dec 28, 202225Dec 28, 202225
Flesh to SoulMy husband and I have developed a new ritual. After I brush my teeth, I sit on my walker in the bathroom, and he brushes my hair. I close…Dec 14, 202212Dec 14, 202212
Speaking Up, Being BigAbout twenty years ago I got divorced from a man I’d been married to for over twenty years. As divorces go, it was a relatively smooth one…Dec 7, 202218Dec 7, 202218
One LifeIn the last couple of years, since my ALS diagnosis, I’ve lived two parallel lives. One was the life I’d always been living as a writer in…Nov 30, 202215Nov 30, 202215
Every Day is a TripMany of you know that I did a second guided mushroom trip last week, seeking a deeper encounter with death, and wanting to learn how to…Nov 23, 202258Nov 23, 202258
Considering Death — Week #5 of “A Brief Pause”This week’s post is written by Nancy Hopps. I will return next week to tell you about the second mushroom trip I took yesterday, wearing…Nov 16, 20221Nov 16, 20221
A Fork in the Road (Week #3 of “A Brief Pause”)A few weeks ago I realized I needed to simplify my life to maintain focus on finishing my novel-in-progress. That is when I put this blog…Nov 2, 20223Nov 2, 20223
A Fiction Outtake — Week #2 of A Brief PauseIn the course of writing and editing any novel, a lot is cut. Numerous reasons lie behind the cutting. The material might be unnecessary…Oct 26, 2022Oct 26, 2022
Nothing Like a Baby— Blog Pause— Week #1Today is the first day when I am officially on my self-declared blog pause. But, as I promised, I am not going to be completely silent. My…Oct 19, 20222Oct 19, 20222
Normalizing (As Much As Possible)A few years ago I attended the wedding of a former boyfriend. Shortly after we split up, he came out and, following a brief rift, we became…Oct 5, 20229Oct 5, 20229
On Death and PublicationToday, Tuesday September 27th 2022, is the official publication date of my new novel, Livid. This is the second of two novels of mine that…Sep 28, 20226Sep 28, 20226
What to Read (and How) When You’re DyingAll my life, I’ve enjoyed reading. As a kid, after I learned to read to myself, I would close the door to my room, and lie on my side on…Sep 21, 202210Sep 21, 202210
Finding the Humor in Death and DyingI hope you enjoy this essay I wrote for Today.com about finding the humor in death and dying.Sep 14, 20222Sep 14, 20222
The Necklace (and Coffee for Cops)This week’s post is two-pronged. Before I launch into “The Necklace,” I wanted to add an addendum to last week’s post, “When A Woman Can’t…Sep 7, 20222Sep 7, 20222
When A Woman Can’t Make NiceFor about a year I haven’t been able to speak — something I have written about extensively in this blog — and for a year and a half before…Aug 31, 20223Aug 31, 20223
Why I Love Being NakedFor a couple of years after college I lived with a communal group. We were upstanding people with respectable jobs as therapists, teachers…Aug 24, 202213Aug 24, 202213
Becoming a Rorschach Inkblot WomanMy father, a gentle man who was rarely angry, had a face that, when lost in thought, relaxed into a kind of neutrality that made him look…Aug 17, 20222Aug 17, 20222