Magical Memoir Moments
100 Magical Memoir Moments: A Possible New Book?
Have you ever walked out the door, sniffed the air, and felt an arrow fly into your heart? I think there must be another kind of Cupid in addition to the one at Hallmark — a Memoir Cupid who sends us pangs of joy or sorrow from our past. Scientists who study memory know that…
What's the Best Way to do a Book Tour? A Hybrid Approach Between Virtual and "Live"
Book tours have gotten a bad rap lately. Publishers seldom sponsor them except for their A-list authors in A-list venues in large cities. In fact, back in 2011 Anne R. Allen advised authors to celebrate their demise in a post titled RIP the Author Book Tour. She preferred BLOG tours and social media, which, three…
Coverings and Bonnets, Part Three: Church of the Brethren and Quaker Stories
Back in 1966, both Charlene and I wore prayer coverings to Warwick High School. Here’s a picture from our senior yearbook showing both of us in relation to our classmates — enjoying the fun, but from a distance. Charlene is sitting closest to the windows. I am holding a paper. Charlene’s Story Charlene was then,…
Coverings and Bonnets, Amish, Quaker, and Mennonite Stories: Part Two
When BLUSH launched at Lititz Mennonite Church September 19, 2013, I, like any new author, was excited. But I was also a little worried, as any memoir writer with extended family in the room will be! My family’s response filled my heart with joy that night. I will always be grateful for their amazing support….
Mennonite Bonnet and Covering Stories: Part One
All this week I’ve had coverings on my mind. Yesterday, as I was doing research about plain dress among the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonites, I was joined at the library computer table by a Muslim woman in full head veiling. Yes, it’s true. There are more Muslim head veilings at Eastern Mennonite University these days than…
What kind of Mennonite Mother Would Name Her Daughter for Shirley Temple?
You would think I would have prepared for February 10, 2014, the day Shirley Temple Black died. A few years ago I had wanted to interview her but learned that she was in ill health and not responding to requests. The news of her death broke while I was traveling back from Los Cabos, Mexico….
Why There’s More than Enough Love to Go Around
It’s tempting to think of love as finite. A loving mother can help her children to trust the infinite nature of love. Were you fortunate enough to have a loving mother? If not, how have you found love in your life? Today’s writing prompt: Can you tell as story of the day that you touched…
Miranda, Mary Ann, and FriendStory: Bittersweet Childhood Memoir
We met in Brooklyn. She had written two novels. I was writing my first memoir. She lived with her family close to Fort Greene, where we were living in a high rise apartment, taking care of our grandson in another high rise close by. Our meeting was mostly online. But we did have one lovely…
Staring Death in the Face: How I Became a Gutsy Mennonite Memoirist
Are Mennonites “gutsy”? How about memoirists? My guess is that you may have had more problem answering “yes” to the first question than to the second. So here’s a Mennonite confession. I’ve always admired gutsy-ness. If you read to the very end of this post, you’ll understand why. First, let me introduce you to a…
Three Reasons Why We Need Books and Authors
Imagine there’s a world without books. Without authors. Now that would be dystopia! No Hunger Games, no Suzanne Collins, no archery craze that follows. But also — much worse. No holy books, no Shakespeare, no novels, none of the eight million books currently available on Amazon. We depend on books, whether on paper or digital,…