April is the cruelest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain. - excerpt from The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot March was indeed cruel this year, with life as we know it shifting everywhere on this planet. Now that we've been self-isolating at home for a couple of weeks, some of the shock of this enormous change has dulled. We've moved into a different way of inhabiting our space, of doing our work, of finding our

Welcome to a new regular feature here at One Minnesota Writer: New Book News.

I am, however, reading it on occasion. The news, that is. A survey of headlines, a gulping down of first paragraphs, a cursory glance at photos. Actually hearing the voices of assorted public figures is not helping my health right now. Probably not yours, either. My husband might disagree that I’m not watching the news. It’s true that I turn on our local news fairly often, but I’m mostly listening to the weather. Is it going to snow? How cold will it get? Do we have enough g

Dew clings to every part of a stalk of grass. There is something about water droplets that linger on leaves and flowers after a summer rain. On the humid morning-after, perfect little orbs line up along leaf veins, dangle gem-like from petals, bejewel every living thing. Non-living objects have their decorations, too: slick wet surfaces gleam on pavement, decks, garden benches. The dog’s fur absorbs water as she charges through wet grass. The whole world seems to have lingere

Yesterday, I spent a lot of time shoveling thanks to a finicky snowblower and the latest round of several inches of new snow. Seems the Twin Cities got most of its annual snowfall over the past 10 days. And there were other tasks to be done, conversations to be had, and somewhere around 5 p.m. I realized I had forgotten to prepare today’s post. However, I was sitting on the perfect news to share. A little challenge, even. Over at Gyroscope Review, where I am one of the editor

After a much-needed break from online life, I am happy to be back at work. To kick off the new year at One Minnesota Writer, today I’m sharing two of my poems that were published in the December 2018 release of The Linnet’s Wings: The Winter’s Tale – Ravens and Robins. After the First Storm of the Season In Praise of No God There were many other wonderful poets whose work also appeared in this issue, which is available on Amazon. Enjoy! #InPraiseofnoGod #AftertheFirstStormoft

It’s been a helluva week – one in which I’ve turned off the television, not read the newspaper with my usual devotion, spent little time on social media, and drank more wine that I really needed. I know I’m not alone. Recently, I’ve written about choosing not to be angry, about what the most radical things are that I can do every day to achieve that goal. And I’ve been reminding myself I wrote those words, reminding myself that anger doesn’t always accomplish what we hope. It

At the end of a day of writing, reading other people’s work, and catching up on articles about the technical issues of creating work, there is nothing better than doing something that doesn’t require a computer. Something that makes me stand up, move around, be with other people. Leave the virtual world behind. For me, that means getting into the kitchen. That ritual of creating a meal to share teaches me about patience, using my senses, selecting the right ingredients. Over

The month of May keeps making me pause, sniff the air for that spring scent of soil-moss-rain-rotted leaves-first flowers, check what’s coming up from the garden dirt. I listen to hear which birds chatter, then follow the sounds to see if someone is nesting in one of our birdhouses. I feel happy when I see a little kid with a big smile running full-speed in the warm air, or an older person who can no longer run but has come to understand the value in not rushing through the b

Yesterday, Mick and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. Maybe I should say we continued to celebrate, since we also celebrated on Saturday night with son Shawn, daughter-in-law Beka, granddaughter Camille, daughter Abby, and soon-to-be-son-in-law Joe. We went to an old St. Paul establishment, Forepaugh’s, which happens to be the place where Mick and I got married in 1993. Since neither of us was into big wedding productions in 1993, we chose this place for its intimacy

Happy spring, everyone! Here in Minnesota, it doesn’t feel terribly spring-like yet. We still have a few inches of snow on the ground in the Twin Cities and our winter coats are still part of our daily outfits. But change is in the air. I’ve been consumed with working on the spring 2018 issue of Gyroscope Review. This is the largest single issue we’ve produced so far and it’s our third anniversary issue. That it’s going to be available to kick off National Poetry Month is a b

The thing about being a freelance writer and editor, especially one who co-edits a lit mag where submissions may arrive anytime during the reading period, is that I don’t pay a lot of attention to federal holidays. That is until I go outside to get the mail and find an empty mailbox. And then I think, hey, I should go downtown for something because the parking meters won’t be enforced. But I usually turn around and go back to my computer. My partner is also at work today – th

There are those who love to celebrate the Fourth of July: picnics, parades, fireworks. And there are those who veer toward quieter pursuits: solo hikes, deserted beaches, a good book. I can help you with your reading list if you’re in that last category – the summer issue of Gyroscope Review is now available in both print and PDF formats. Click the cover below for more information. Poets in this issue tackled topics of all sorts, especially current affairs – perfect for your

Happy New Year! Yes, even though it’s already the ninth of January, the year still has that shiny brand-new feel. I’m always sort of stunned at this time of year to realize how quickly the holidays come and go, how soon we are knee-deep in the new year’s events and tasks. And while I was on break from One Minnesota Writer, I was knee-deep in something else: the January issue of Gyroscope Review, which you can find here. My co-editor Constance Brewer and I are really proud of

Where has the autumn gone? While the election season felt interminable, everything else zipped by. Between houseguests and travel, I found myself on Thanksgiving thinking, “Hey, too fast!” This is what happens with a full life, though, isn’t it? But now life around here is going to slow down a little. And I have pictures to share from my last bit of travel which was to England for my friend Oonah’s book launch in Newcastle. If you haven’t been to the north of England, go. On

I am celebrating my friend Oonah Joslin’s recent book launch for her new book of poetry, Three Pounds of Cells. The Morpeth launch happened last week and the link to buy Oonah’s book is now available. Click on the image below to get your copy. Curling up with a good book of poetry can’t be beat as we slip into the cold weather season. Celebrating my writer friends who find success and have work to share is one of the joys of being part of the writing community. If you have a

It’s a beautiful fall day here in the Twin Cities. I’m on break today, but want to share the latest issue of Gyroscope Review, which came out on Saturday. My co-editor Constance Brewer and I are delighted with the poets who submitted work for this issue, our first themed one. Welcome to the fall issue of Gyroscope Review, The “Honor” Issue. The link will take you to Gyroscope Review‘s page of issues current and past, with two different versions depending on whether you wish t

Over the summer, I edited a poetry book for my friend Oonah Joslin. Oonah is a poet in Morpeth, Northumberland. Her first book, Three Pounds of Cells, is due out this fall from The Linnet’s Wings Press. The 45 poems in this collection are a delightful exploration of how we perceive our world, a search for the source of the light and the music. The poems touch on Oonah’s childhood, travels, faith, love, loss, and her life-long affair with the sea. They sparkle with shifting co

One Minnesota Writer is taking a break today to be with family and friends, grill food, watch fireworks, and express gratitude to live in a place where this is even possible. Happy July 4 to my U.S. readers. We are lucky. We need to remember that more often. Less acrimony. More neighborliness. For your summer reading pleasure, the new issue of Gyroscope Review is now available. If you’re reading on a laptop or desktop computer, use this link: https://joom.ag/toRQ If you’re re

One of the places where I’ve been fortunate enough to have several of my poems published has just released their summer issue and their summer poets-only anthology. I’m included in both, along with many other poets with whom I’m proud to appear. That publication is The Linnet’s Wings (http://www.thelinnetswings.org) and you can purchase both publications in hard copy through the links on the site. Marie Fitzpatrick, managing editor, and her staff do an amazing job creating vi