In Search of the Perfect Street in Paris
One of the most beautiful features of Paris is its streets. I love the ornate buildings, I love the beautiful landmarks, I love the stately cathedrals, but I also love the streets. They are cobbled unevenly, smoothly paved, or somewhere in between, geometrically decorated with modern pavers. They are grand like the Haussmann-designed boulevards and averagely wide like the Rue Milton or narrow like the Rue de Nancy. They each have their own little personality in the decorative facades or foliage or parking or modern features. My favorite streets are…
7 Ways to Get Creative When You’re Not in the Mood
Any artist has experienced this: you finally get an afternoon to yourself where life is free of distractions, kids, responsibilities, chores, etc. You have a long stretch of time to create something new. It’s a time where you can relax and enter a silent space to produce a work of art, whether it be painting, knitting, jewelry, etc. The idea of it is exciting. You may even look forward to it, can’t wait for it, in fact. But then, when the time comes, you’re not in the mood. I’ve experienced…
How to Hide That You’re a Vampire Mom, An Interview With Autumn Lindsey
Autumn Lindsey writes women’s fiction with characters that bite. Her forthcoming novel, Remaining Aileen, is about a mom with a very dangerous secret. She lives in Northern California with her husband and kids. I talked with Autumn about her debut novel, her online group, Writer Moms, and an interesting way she handled writerly rejection. When did you first become interested in writing fiction? Have you written stories since you were a child or did you come to writing as an adult? I didn’t become interested in writing fiction until 2014…
Bruno Schulz Imagines an Insane, Ecstatic World
Bruno Schulz was a writer, painter, and literary critic in early 20th-Century Poland. I’ve always admired his work. It’s surreal and strange but amazingly compelling. The other day I came across my copy of Street of Crocodiles, a collection of short fiction that’s his signature creation and couldn’t resist sharing my ideas about it here. Wild Words That Resonate When I read it years ago, the book rang in my soul like a large brass bell. Days after reading it, I could still feel the sound resonating in my chest.…
How Little Plant Shops Inspired a Big Paris Dream
I’ve always thought owning a plant shop would be a fun job. I wouldn’t want to manage a full-on nursery, that seems too complicated, but I wouldn’t mind owning a small store that specializes in rare and unusual plants. An Oasis of Greenery This is because I’m convinced plant shops are dreamy. I can think of one in particular in Seattle I love to visit: Ravenna Gardens. They have unusual (and usual) plants along with tools and fun gifts. Outside, the plants stand in alluring arrangements while inside, dreamy displays…
