This is one of my favorite books he wrote.

But then he looked at me seriously and said, “But you might be a writer. Is this something you want to do?”

“Absolutely,” I said.

“Then you should pursue it because you might be good at it.”

That conversation set me on the path I’m on today as a writer.

Thank you, Joe. 2/2

I remember in one of my undergraduate writing classes we had to write a poem, a fiction piece, and a nonfiction piece. Then we met with Joe individually after we’d worked them over to get his feedback. His first words to me after reading my work were, “Well, you’re not a poet.”

We both laughed. 1/2

...new decorations and lights slowly find their way to roof edges and windowsills, table tops and shelves throughout the house. Fall books and magazines are swapped for holiday and winter ones. So, the quiet holds space for the festive coziness of the season.

My tiny "office," which became a bedroom, is now an office again. Extra air mattresses are deflated, rolled up, and stored away again. Sheets and towels are washed and folded. Floors swept, dishes washed, fridge looking starkly empty. It's odd normalcy. Except...

It’s befuddling.