WWII in the American South: Ruth Francisco’s Camp Sunshine
Ruth Francisco’s WWII novel, Camp Sunshine, entertains and informs with clear, specific storytelling. Already a fan of WWII history and fiction, I greatly enjoyed this novel. Francisco animates a rather unattended war detail, an amphibious…
Mystery, History and Love: You’ll Find Them in the Details
My grandmother, Laura, died in 1997 and yet, she remains clear in my mind. From decades earlier, I feel her cool hands on my feverish forehead. When I was four years old and abruptly relieved…
A Quiet Revolution
Quiet, the Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain. Broadway Paperbacks, New York ©2012, 2013 by Susan Cain. “I have seen firsthand how difficult it is for introverts to…
Inside and Outside the Box
Despite rumors to the contrary, this writer has not been captured in or sealed in a box. Rather, I’m recuperating after a beneficial surgery. Before I raise further alarm (or indifference, which I fear more)…
Being Ourselves, Only Better
I know people who make New Year’s Resolutions. I even know one person who holds herself accountable, month by month, and publishes her progress or lack thereof. (I won’t call you out…you know who you…
On Bravery, by Nichole Bernier
Nichole Bernier, author of The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D, is one of my favorite contemporary writers. She’s also a regular contributor on Beyond the Margins. Today I recommend her moving look at people who…
Who Doesn’t Like to Read?
Sometimes being an avid reader begins or ends in childhood…(click post title for video).
“Change of Life”
I invite you to subscribe to or purchase a copy of The Examined Life Journal, a a thoughtful and interesting publication that considers human needs and experiences of health and suffering. Thanks to them for…
The Darkwater Liar’s Account as The Next Big Thing
Thanks to Kourtney Heintz for nominating me for The Next Big Thing blog award. She has inspired me to keep standing up when rejections smack me down. Thanks, Coach. I look forward to reading some…
Short Attention Span Summer Fiction
Our Iowa summer days seemed long and hot, due to drought, but the season stopped short of our expectations for rainfall and yield. It also held a few surprises. That’s not a cloud towering over…
Recent Comments