Keeping the faith, one dollar at a time
I sold three books recently and received this check for $37.80. I could buy a decent dinner for two or …
Tag Archives: nonfiction
I’m a podcast guest talking about Camilla Hall and the SLA
My colleague and friend, Amy Mattson Lauters, has started a new podcast called “Tales From the Midwest” because let’s face …
Slow down, take rest
School started yesterday. And I wasn’t there. I’m on sabbatical, one of the major, many perks of working in higher …
Review of Melissa Faliveno’s debut essay collection, “Tomboyland”
I’m often mistaken for a vegetarian. I don’t know why. Perhaps it’s my tattoos. Or my hair color—a shock of …
5 ways to bring more enjoyment to your reading
This post is inspired by Laurie Hertzel’s July 24 column in the Minneapolis StarTribune titled “Making the Most of Your …
A mid-point check for the year’s reading goal
The year is half over (I think everyone is breathing a huge sigh of relief — what a crappy year …
Anyone else remember these biographies for kids?
I was talking about these the other day. They are from the Childhood of Famous Americans series by the Bobbs-Merrill …
“Show, Don’t Tell” — not necessarily
Navigate on over to this brilliant essay by Sonya Huber about the dangers of following the “show, don’t tell” advice …
On being a turtle writer
In terms of writing, I’m definitely a turtle, not a hare. Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Midland_painted_turtle.jpg Some days the writing just …
My favorite things, Aug. 4: True Story, women’s body image, and an essay a day
“Stumbling Into Joy,” by Kate Hopper, True Story Issue #29. Kate is a Minnesota treasure, author of Use Your Words: A …
If You Have Five Seconds to Spare 
