Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged abstract, essays, ice, light, nature, Photography, seasons, Talking Writing, water, winter, winter's light on December 17, 2013| 7 Comments »
It has been almost two years since my photo essay Winter’s Light appeared in Talking Writing.
Of course I still love the light of this approaching season.
With that winter’s light in 2011, I focused on the illumination of “ordinary objects,” from condensation to old postcards hung on a wall.
With this morning’s near-winter light, I was struck by the illumination of branching fingers of ice.
To view such scenes at the start of the day feels magical. Feels cold, too, but still magical. 😉
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged autumn, colors, essays, grief, Inspiration, leaves, Lorraine Berry, memoir, Middlesex Fells Reservation, nature, Photography, storytelling, sunset, Talking Writing, walks, writer's block on October 28, 2013| 3 Comments »
Words taken from Wordless: Writer’s Block and Grief, a beautiful essay out today by writer Lorraine Berry in Talking Writing Magazine. As the title suggests, it is about a writer dealing with grief. It is a moving piece that I hope you have a chance to read. It was startling to read of black birds in the first paragraph of her essay. Birds of that dark shade have been on my mind of late though none did I see on a recent walk through the Fells. A friend faraway, who is dealing with grief, had mentioned as part of a larger conversation of seeing blackbirds outside of his house. And though I was not close enough to hug him as he might have liked, we did spend a while talking about the wings of the bird and how they glistened iridescent in the sun. Mostly on my walk through the Fells, I saw leaves. 😉
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged Inspiration, interview, life, nature, poetry, prose, silence, Talking Writing, Terry Tempest Williams, voice on June 17, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Please, please, please treat yourself to this Talking Writing interview, “Silence is Where We Locate Our Voice,” by Lorraine Berry with Terry Tempest Williams. I consider myself quite lucky to have met Terry Tempest Williams at a pivotal point in developing my voice. You can read about that experience in this blog post, Birdsong.
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged compassion, Contributing Writer, empathy, essay, family, Inspiration, life, nature, Photography, racism, Talking Writing on June 10, 2013| 7 Comments »
There is a time and place for everything. I guess now is a time and place in my life to collect seashells and rocks and blossoms that I let dry in the sun. As I collect these things, I ponder. Here is a recent essay inspired by a broken bowl of stone and shells: fragile beauty.
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged creative writing, essays, Inspiration, literature, nature, nature writing, Photography, poetry, storytelling, Talking Writing, writing magazine on May 8, 2013| 5 Comments »
check out the Spring 2013 issue of Talking Writing Magazine. There’s just some darn fine writing and imagery appearing in that publication. Start with Editor Martha Nichol’s reflections on Why I Love and Hate Nature Writing. And in Green Among the Bones, Marc Schiffman presents a moving recount of his travels in Cambodia in an essay illustrated with photography by Mary Dineen. More of her work can been seen in her Image Essay. I’ll be honest I almost titled this post “my butt hurts,” a line taken from Patricia Dubrava’s Me, Writing. I’ll stop there. Hmmm, okay, two more words: treat yourself. 😉
Posted in Inspiration, tagged AWP, collaboration, Contributing Writer, editing, literary magazines, literature, Photography, poetry, prose, storytelling, Talking Writing, writers on March 4, 2013| 1 Comment »
Pens, Paper, Postcards
The camera is not going away, but if I have one goal in 2013, it is to do more creative writing. Without doubt motivation has come from my involvement with Talking Writing, a nonprofit online literary magazine featuring the work of writers and visual artists. I know firsthand the commitment and dedication of the editors in helping writers dig deep. See for yourself by checking out the Winter 2013 Issue. And meet the editors this week at the 2013 Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) Conference in Boston.
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, tagged calm, Inspiration, literature, nature, nature writing, Talking Writing, walking on February 4, 2013| 3 Comments »
I do not know if I will ever meet Mr. John Gredler, winner of the 2012 Talking Writing Prize for Nature Writing. What I do know is viewing his words and image at the end of a long day was a lovely, calming respite. If you’re in need, check it out. 😉
