Writing
Sipping with Snoop
So, I was just pushing my shopping cart toward the checkout area after getting all the items on my list, which I keep on the note app on my smartphone, when I had to do a double take because I thought I saw, via my peripheral vision, a familiar face looking at me. To my … Continue reading
Im-Peach-Mint Cocktail
On January 6th, some Christians celebrated Three Kings Day, to commemorate when the three wise men brought gifts to baby Jesus. I’ve never observed this celebration, but I thought it was fitting that the two democratic Georgian senators, Warnock and Ossoff, officially won their elections on this day. There were many factors that led to … Continue reading
Dad’s New Shoes
Dad is a man of few words. Mom’s just the opposite. So, on this rare occasion, Dad took the conversational lead to tell me about when he got his first pair of shoes as a child–a big accomplishment since money was scarce. Of course, this doesn’t mean that Mom remained silent the whole time.
Creative Compensation
In the past, one of my writing friends hired me as a sensitivity reader, specifically to focus on how she handled racism in her last manuscript. She was so impressed with the critique that I gave her, she encouraged me to promote myself professionally as a sensitivity reader. Of course, I’ve not followed up with … Continue reading
Original Tales of Terror
Here’s another fine example of showing up being half the battle. I submitted the one and only spooky poem I’ve ever written, which was about my hat. My submission was supposed to go into a box with other submissions from members of my woman-identified film group. The writer of the randomly drawn submission would represent … Continue reading
I See You, Melania
I was so hyped to vote early in person that the experience inspired me to write a poem–something I hadn’t done during the quarantine months until now. Strangely enough, the poem came to me as what First Lady Melania Trump would do when her hubby lost the 2020 election. You say you packing up early … Continue reading
Screenwriters’ Workshop
A week prior to attending this virtual workshop, I dusted off my one and only script, which I’d edited over a year ago. I’d received a thorough critique with examples of how to improve it, but at the time, I didn’t have the motivation to implement them. This workshop cured that apathy. With fresh eyes, … Continue reading
Half a Century Later…
Some people dread birthdays. Not me. Not even during a pandemic. After all, being blessed to spend five decades on this wondrous planet is truly the gift. Last year, one of my sisters had the bright idea to celebrate the “milestone” Virgo birthdays in 2020 since her youngest child would be 20, I’d turn 50 … Continue reading
Namibia’s Good Bye
“I don’t care if the Earth opened up, swallowed you whole and shat you out in hell!” Namibia growled as she hurried around the living room, gathering her things before fast walking out the front door. The weathered screen door, still in desperate need of a paint job, creaked behind her as she sprinted down the porch steps two at … Continue reading
Here’s to the Black Men Who Breath Freely
Memorial Day commemorates the men and women of the Armed Forces who have died in the defense of the United States. Yet, like every other thing existing with the COVID-19 pandemic in the background, even this celebration morphed into the latest wave of international protest. On Memorial Day 2020, two black men, one in New … Continue reading