It's a digital world
My college-age son, With-a-Why, leaves tomorrow morning for a summer abroad. On his facebook page, he posted a message to let friends that he wouldn't be getting text messages: "My phone will not be in...
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Who doesn't get naked in a cemetery?
We met at the grave of Susan B. Anthony. And within ten minutes, he had agreed to pose naked for my blog. I love cooperative strangers.The latest Project Naked adventure began when a couple of friends...
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View from my kayak
For Memorial Day weekend we went, as we have for decades, to my parents' camp up on the river. The weather was so warm this year that it felt like summer. Remember how cold the nights can be in May,...
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Cool, cool water
My parents' camp, where we all gather every year during the first week of July, is a peninsula of oak trees next to a big marsh. Their dock juts into a creek that winds through cattails. It's a lovely...
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Another loss
Blond Brother-in-law was only 19 when he married my oldest sister. He’s been part of my family for my entire adult life.Everyone loved Blond Brother-in-law for his easy-going disposition. He was always...
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Road trip in autumn
Every fall, I travel to the mountains for a long weekend with a bunch of women friends. This year, as we were figuring out who was going to go in which car, Birding Woman said, "I want to take a slow...
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Wild Woman
They call us the Wild Women.That’s our nickname. We’re a group of close women friends who go to the mountains every year for a retreat. We bring food, we take walks, we hike mountains, we build fires,...
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Sunlight in mid-February
When I got home from work today, I realized that something was different: the sun was shining. It was still light out. And everywhere, snow was melting. Wet snow slid from tree branches. The banks...
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Felt like spring
Last week, the area schools had their annual February break. So on Friday, I drove to a little town on the other side of the lake to visit the 16-year-old who used to live across the street from me. We...
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In sickness and in health
The travel gods conspired against my conference roommate, Maine Writer. First she was told that her flight was going to be late. Then it was cancelled. So she got on a train, which -- based on the...
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The Man with the Great Blue Heron Tattoo
You’d think it would be awkward, asking a man to come back to my room to strip off his clothes, but really it wasn’t. I’ve known the Man with the Great Blue Heron Tattoo for many years, but we only see...
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Out on a limb
This spring, I got the distinct impression that my friend Maine Writer had changed careers. On facebook, I saw photos of her hanging upside down, supported only by a long stretch of silky fabric, and...
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The two-for-one naked photo shoot
When LovesBooks told me that she was coming to the Friendly Green Conference, I knew that she’d get naked for me. Heck, she practically risked her life to pose for me two years ago – and she stripped...
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The naked splashing woman
Every fall, I join women friends for a weekend retreat in the mountains. We bring food, and books, and stories about our lives. We dance by the fire, give each other massages, and hike through gorgeous...
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Reaching for the sky
Our conference last weekend was held on a campus the size of a small city, nestled into a desert ecosystem. The walkways, shaded by tall arrays of solar panels, were crowded with students who are...
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Naked in the sunshine state
Last month, when my usual conference roommate had to cancel her plans to come to the Big Creative Writing Conference, I found myself scrambling at the last minute to get a roommate. I sent out a plea,...
View ArticleCandles for Algernon
I couldn't figure out what the smell in the kitchen was. Finally, I pulled out the drawer underneath the stove and there, at the very back, was a dead mouse, caught in a mousetrap that I'd left there...
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Wildflower: Naked in the campus garden
When I read creative writing at conferences, I don't use pseudonyms. But otherwise, the way I write an essay isn't much different than how I write a blog post, except that it gets revised a million...
View ArticleNo place like home
Thanksgiving might be my favourite holiday. It involves all the usual holiday traditions -- gathering with friends and family, plus lots of food -- but it's the one holiday that I don't host, which...
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Turning point
Usually, when I post naked photos on my blog, I tell a funny story. Even though the naked photo project is a serious feminist project about body image, our sessions are usually filled with joking and...
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