Magical Memoir Moments
Three Reasons to Read Your Memoir in New York City
Some writers leave the provinces and yield to the siren call of the city in their youth. My favorite author Willa Cather did that. She was published by Alfred A. Knopf, a powerful imprint designating quality, so powerful it has survived many mergers and is part of Penguin Random House, one of the Big Five…
Happy Independence Day: Memoir Photo, Report, and Check-In
Every memoir includes some things and leaves some things out. The picture above didn’t make it into Blush: A Mennonite Girl Meets the Glittering World, so I’m sharing it now. My family will be gathering tonight with my sister Doris on top of the hill of what used to be called The Home Place to…
John Lithgow's New Memoir — Drama: An Actor's Education
Sometimes a memoir knocks you over even before you read all of it. Such is the case with John Lithgow’s Drama: An Actor’s Education. I’ve read about it, listened to the author, and read a chapter of it at the Diane Rehm Show website. Lithgow, who lives in New York, has made the rounds of the…
Kurtis Lamkin Will Take Your Breath Away on the Healing Power of Art
Here we are for our video one-a-day vitamin! This time, however, there’s a bonus. You will want to watch two videos, because these are amazing! I had the privilege of being the interviewer (off camera) when Kurtis told the story of how art healed him and his wife as they struggled to have a baby–and…
Around the World in 80 Days: Reflections on Recent Travels
Pittsburgh: Saturday morning. Post-Starbucks and pre-wedding planning day with Kate and Nik, Anthony and Chelsea, Ila and Neal.In a mellow, grateful, Thanksgiving Weekend mood. It occurred to me, as I was returning from my third trip to NYC last week, that perhaps I have been around the world (24, 901 miles) in the last 80…
Parker Palmer on Bill Moyers Journal: Ground On Which It's Safe to Stand
If you missed Parker Palmer’s appearance on Bill Moyers Journal last Friday, cheer up. Here it is. Apparently, the broadcast about illusion and reality in our current economic crisis, which included Parker talking about depression in his own life, cheered many people. Funny how truth does that–in just the paradoxical way that Parker himself explains…