Magical Memoir Moments
On the Road Again: Coming to a City Near You?
Forty-five years ago, these two merry wanderers decided to set off on the journey of life together: We used the image of the Conestoga Wagon to dream together, having been influenced by the story that a Mennonite invented the wagon, and having read lots of Little House on the Prairie books, we somehow associated freedom,…
Catherine R. Mumaw: A Different Kind of Mother's Day Tribute
Who mothered you in addition to or instead of or beside your biological mother? As we celebrate mothers this Sunday, I invite you to answer this question. For me, there were many such women. Women in my family; Mary Lauver, our pastor’s wife and a leader in her own right, and many others in my…
How to Get Ready to Die: Easter Lessons from My Mennonite Mother
“Just don’t say, ‘She fell into the arms of Jesus.’” We were talking about death and funerals, fun topics for a 65-year-old woman and her 87-year-old mother. When Mother described the clichés and embellished phrases of some obituaries, we both howled in recognition, eager to reduce the serious, universal, subject of death with just enough…
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….
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…
How Writing Helps Us Peel Back Meaning and Purpose One Layer at a Time
My publisher, Herald Press, asked me to do a guest blog on their MennoBytes site. Having written lots of guest posts, I decided to answer a different question, one I get a lot when I talk to groups about my memoir Blush: A Mennonite Girl Meets a Glittering World “How does this childhood story relate…