It really is one of the best, juiciest, most voice-driven and character-capturing novel opening paragraphs.

And I'm not saying that just because I'm Mary Catherine, too. ;)

It really is one of the best, juiciest, most voice-driven and character-capturing novel opening paragraphs.

And I'm not saying that just because I'm Mary Catherine, too. ;)

Beguiling, haunting, horrifying, eccentric are words that come to mind when I think of Miss Havisham in Dickens' "Great Expectations." Grateful to D.U.M.B.O. Press for publishing my re-imagining—or, a more allowably risqué representation?—of her & Pip's relationship.
dumbopress.com/short-storie...

Sometimes, I write on Substack.

theartofobservation.substack.com/p/give-a-toss

Hey writer & performing/visual artist friends,

Did you know that the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), in addition to posting about grants, jobs, & other opportunities, also offers an array of on-demand courses such as this one? nyfalearning.nyfa.org/course/strat...

I love this tangible example of how imagination can transform the world & our experience. Imagine if we all made the same daily deliberate effort to make life a little more joyful & rich for ourselves & others.

See this Instagram post by
@art_dailydose
www.instagram.com/reel/DBt_gqk...

TwoSet Violin will be sorely missed! Few people have managed to make the unique and yes, at times outright goofy, culture of classical musicians as relatable and transparent as Brett & Eddy. I loved watching their videos.
buff.ly/3OK0wky

A wee snip from my just-published essay. You can read the whole piece here: www.doesithavepockets.com/cnf/mary-cat...

Excited to share my short essay newly published by the coolest-titled journal (imo), @doesithavepockets.bsky.social!

Check out their whole December issue; there's a lot of good work in there: www.doesithavepockets.com

Something I learned during the pandemic:

Loneliness is a creeping, quiet trauma, from which recovery is possible but slow.

Trauma usu. is seen as something that happens to you, that crashes down. But neglect is trauma, & loneliness is a kind of neglect.

Most insidious is that no one intends it.

This NewYorker cartoon cracked me up. It's like when you ask the especially crusty among us, "Hey, how're you doing?"--and they answer, "Oh, you know. Living the dream." And it's always a little funny to me, in a sad-funny / funny-sad kind of way 🙂

Very honored that my forthcoming essay was chosen to be among @doesithavepockets' 2025 Pushcart noms--honored for the vote of confidence in my writing, as well as gratified to know that art about and born of dark times holds a place in literature & the world. Excited to share the piece very soon!

lithub.com/harpercollin...

Wow, what a "ka-POW!" opening paragraph! From "Outline" by Rachel Cusk.

Frankly, I'm confused and overwhelmed by all the SoMe spaces. I miss when everyone just connected over Facebook, or FB and Twitter. Now there's Instagram, this, TikTok, Substack, and it feels like too much. 1/

Three new reads arrived in the mail today....

Have you ever set up your camping tent in your living room and filled it with blankets, pillows, cushions, tea, and snacks and holed yourself in there to write? I'm considering doing this for writing things that are difficult (well, all things are difficult to write but some especially so).