Remembering Mine: Writing About Poets

January 5, 2011

In December 2010, I started publishing an online poetry column, somewhat like Ted Kooser’s “American Life in Poetry,” but focusing on poets who are women of color. To Kooser’s credit, he has featured Lita Hooper, who published her first full-length collection Thunder in Her Voice in 2010. The first column focused on Lucille Clifton. [...]

Read the full article →

The words march on…

December 17, 2010

The semester has ended for me, and I’m starting on the holidays. It’s been a fertile time for me to write. The second collection of poems, tentatively titled 7×7, is almost done. I’ve started on poems for a third collection, but more on both at a later time. I’ve been reading a lot [...]

Read the full article →

Monster SOUP!

December 15, 2010

At first I thought, I was just going to follow the directions on the Bob’s Red Mill wrapper and make a simple soup since it’s been so bitterly cold on the East Coast and in Chicago. It’s a winter pastime to make soup and bake. I feel safe from the chill and it warms the [...]

Read the full article →

The Value of Space

October 3, 2010

For the first time in my writing life, I have the makings of a real office. I will post a picture soon, I promise. The bookshelves are orderly. Excess paper is disappearing. I have windows, quiet, and a big desk with a chair and a hutch. The television is in the living [...]

Read the full article →

Staying cool

August 5, 2010

I do not do well in heat. I’ve managed to do some reading today, some writing. Some days that’s the best that you can hope for, but I’ve discovering that temperature extremes break my concentration completely. For the past two days, the only thing that has seemed to help me is water and sleep. This [...]

Read the full article →

quotes from “How To Suppress Women’s Writing”

July 21, 2010

One of the things that I enjoy most about writer’s residencies and workshops, even as I publish more, is hearing about other books that I haven’t read. Sometimes, it’s a bit like cracking open a watch to examine its gears, or even better yet, positing another portal or thread in the growing webs of narratives [...]

Read the full article →

How I Got Over

July 5, 2010

I’ve been meaning to blog about Carolyn Rodgers since I sadly heard about her death back in April. I’ve watched a video of Carolyn Rodgers at Northwestern a couple of times and picked up one of her books that I wasn’t familiar with, but the one that most people know her for is How [...]

Read the full article →

Vegan Recipe: Spinach Bread (Palak Paratha)

May 11, 2010

I wanted to make some bread to go with the leftovers from the last recipe and the Spinach Bread from the Indian Vegan Kitchen cookbook sounded perfect. Here’s my take on the recipe:
2 cups of whole wheat flour (plus a little extra for rolling & flattening the dough)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups [...]

Read the full article →

Vegan Recipe: cauliflower & peppers with spinach couscous

May 10, 2010

I felt pretty blah today, so lovingly prepared vegan meal would cheer me up. Here’s my take on a recipe from one of my new cookbooks: “The Indian Vegan Kitchen” by Madhu Gadia.
I originally bought “The Indian Vegan Kitchen” because Rich and I give a lot of money to Satish Palace, an Indian restaurant [...]

Read the full article →

Feel-Good Fridays

May 6, 2010

Honestly, I’m going to do Feel-Good Fridays. I will post a video, a picture, or a song that just makes me feel good or other people want to dance. Why? Because people get paid on Fridays and punch out from work. Because it may mark the crest of a party rising or a lover’s embrace. [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →