Category: On Writing
Women With Attitude: How ‘80s New Wave Music Fueled Feminism
By Suzanne Mattaboni When I set out to write my novel Once in a Lifetime, I wanted to focus on female friendships, and on a young woman’s struggle to find her place in the world. That said, I made the decision to set the story in the 1980s. Little did I know at the time […]
WAR AND ME: A Memoir by Faleeha Hassan: Excerpt
A nominee for both the Pulitzer and Pushcart Prizes, Faleeha Hassan is known the world over as “the Maya Angelou of Iraq” (Oprah.com), her poems having been translated into twenty-one languages. Through verse, she was able to process the horrors of life during wartime; she was able to give voice to her faith, family and […]
When the Writing Itself is a Dialogue
When the Writing Itself is a Dialogue by Jan Cohen-Cruz and Rad Pereira Our collaboration as co-authors of Meeting the Moment: Socially Engaged Performance 1965–2020 By Those Who Lived It, across racial, age, gender-identity, and nationality—was a core aspect of the work of this book. As we observed a great many people retreating into the […]
Authors Interviewing Characters: A.M. Linden interviews Herrwn
THE VALLEY, THE DRUID CHRONICLES Llwddawanden is a hidden sanctuary where remnants of a once-powerful pagan cult carry on their ancient ritual practices, supported by a small but faithful following of servants, craftsmen, and laborers. Cut off from the outside world by both geography and conviction, the Druids of Llwddawanden continue to venerate the Great […]
Authors Interviewing Characters: Penny Goetjen
Author Penny Goetjen interviews Victoria Sands from her new novel The Woman Underwater in which Victoria feels torn between hanging onto the hope her husband is still alive, after his disappearance seven years earlier, and the desire to move on with her life. She’s caught in an undertow of unanswered questions, submerged in a watery […]
“Keeping Up” an essay from The Kitchen is Closed and Other Benefits of Being Old
“Keeping Up” an essay from The Kitchen is Closed and Other Benefits of Being Old by Sandra Butler Either everything is getting faster, or I’ve slowed down to a crawl. I’ve decided to go with the former. It seems that it was just Wednesday four days ago, yet it’s Wednesday again now and there are […]
Forgotten Tudor Women: Writing Women Back Into the Historical Narrative
Forgotten Tudor Women: Writing Women Back Into the Historical Narrative “Divorced, Beheaded, Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.” Most British school children learn this rhyme to help them remember the fate of each of Henry VIII’s six wives. The names of Henry’s queens are well-known: Katharine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard […]
Inspiration for Finding Grace
This summer, Finding Grace by Maren Cooper (July 19, She Writes Press) brings readers a poignant story of mental illness, unconditional love, devotion, and hope. Narrated by Grace and her parents, Chuck and Caroline, and set against the backdrop of Lake Superior, this is a coming-of-age journey for all three characters. My second novel, Finding Grace, will be […]
I Cannot Imagine That Woman Is Me
Twenty years ago this note was left for me by a Hungarian who participated in a communications workshop I conducted in Germany: “I am 42 years old, but I cannot imagine that a woman could to learn me something new. You learned me how to have contact with the public. Thank you!” I framed it […]
AUTHORS INTERVIEWING CHARACTERS: Victoria Lilienthal
An unabashed depiction of women’s sexuality, debut novel THE T ROOM by Victoria Lilienthal (She Writes Press, July 19) explores one woman’s desire for male validation on her journey to self-authority. Set amongst the contemporary New Age subculture of San Francisco, this daring tale follows Vera West, whose bodywork career is on fire. But her complicated partnership with her charismatic […]
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