I Should Have Been a Food Historian I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it many more times, I’m sure—I think I missed my calling in this life. I should have been a food historian. One of my favorite parts of writing historical fiction is researching the foods they ate during whatever historical period I’m … Continue reading What Did They Eat in Biblical Jerusalem?
Inspiration
Who Was the Woman of Stones?
For a while, I justified my lack of productivity during these odd times by saying that nearly every writer I know has said that he or she has been having trouble concentrating. I decided that well, things are just too weird right now and it's interfering with the creative process. Then I read that Zadie … Continue reading Who Was the Woman of Stones?
What It’s Like Being an Introvert With Hearing Loss
I know this is a different topic than I usually write about here, but I wanted to share an article I wrote for the fabulous website Introvert, Dear. Introvert, Dear has been one of my favorite websites for years, and I'm honored that they allowed me some space to share my particular conundrum--being an introvert … Continue reading What It’s Like Being an Introvert With Hearing Loss
What I’m Reading: History and Self-Discovery
Here's a bit of what I've been reading lately. Bad Feminist I've heard much about Roxane Gay, mainly because, like me, she's an academic who writes for a more general population. Bad Feminist is the first book I've read from Gay, and I'm glad I finally took the plunge. According to Gay's definition, I would … Continue reading What I’m Reading: History and Self-Discovery
How to Live Like a Poet According to Jack Kerouac
Researching and Writing During a Busy Term I can verify that life as a PhD candidate is a lot of work. There are times when, after long days of researching, writing, and teaching courses at my university, I feel as if I'm lacking even one viable brain cell. I can walk into the supermarket for … Continue reading How to Live Like a Poet According to Jack Kerouac
Are You Pursuing Your Passion?
You May Have More Than One Passion My current writing project, the historical novel that drove me batty over the summer, is now full speed ahead and looking good for its February release. I mention this because I’ve recently become aware of Steven Pressfield’s concept of the shadow career. In his book Turning Pro, one … Continue reading Are You Pursuing Your Passion?
Thank you, Robin Williams: A Lesson in Gratitude
I’m writing and posting this quickly before I change my mind, so, as Anne Lamott said in her own post on the same subject, this isn’t going to be proofread to perfection. I don’t usually comment on the passing of famous people since I’m not sure what I can add that someone more articulate than I … Continue reading Thank you, Robin Williams: A Lesson in Gratitude