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2024 Events
October 24 – 6 PM Meet the Authors. In conversation with Andrea Exerins. Charter Books, Newport R.I. More information here October 21 – 7 PM – 8:30 PM Book Inc. Writers’ Institute Workshop: “Dynamic Setting” (via zoom) More info here October 1 – 6 PMMeet the Author. In conversation with Biddle Duke. Ashwagh Hall, East Hampton, free and open to the public.More…
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Art, Nature, and Nature in Art: The Great Elephant Migration
A very moving exhibit arrived in Newport R.I. recently to tell the tale of conservation, coexistence with nature, and the power of community in safeguarding the natural word. The Great Elephant Migration features 100 life-size elephant statues made from natural materials. From Newport they will travel to other cities around the country to spread the…
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Book Recommendation
The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean by Susan Casey The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean, by best-selling science journalist Susan Casey, is shockingly fascinating. Much of it is so unlikely as to seem completely fictional. Just about everything in this book was unknown to me, from the depth of the…
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Art in Nature: Blithwold Mansion and Arboretum
A mile from my home is a wonderful arboretum, Blithewold. On 33 acres along the Narragansett Bay, the grounds of the estate has various flower gardens, but primarily holds a remarkable collection of trees that is a boon to the environment. The property features a 45-room mansion with glorious views out to the water. It’s…
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The Sea House by Esther Freud Once in a while you come upon a novel you fall so deeply in love with that it becomes a lifetime favorites. This novel became that for me. I’d never heard of Esther Freud, and was shocked I hadn’t. For one thing, she wrote the novel that became one of…
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Book Recommendation
Those People Behind Us, by Mary Camarillo In recommending books, I focus primarily on novels that relate in some way to social issues, particularly the environment, and have a strong sense of place. Mary Camarillo’s novel touches on all three. It’s a joy to read—astute, wry, propulsive—and has much to say about our modern social and political…
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Down the Shore, to Asbury Park
A recent book event at the Asbury Book Cooperative led me to an excursion the Jersey shore.
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Why You Should Consider Multiple Points of View in Your Novel
First published on Women On Writing Writers often struggle with whether to tell a story through the lens of one or many characters. Multiple point of view (POV) can be tricky to master, but there are several reasons it can be very effective. Rather than go with your gut, consider if your intentions align with…
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How To Use Setting To Do More
Recently, I led a mini-lesson in setting for the Book Revision Lab and this essay is one I wrote for their Journal. I love writing setting, but I do so from instinct. In preparing for the lesson, I realized that beyond an awareness that setting is meant to draw the reader into the world of the…
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THE STARK BEAUTY OF LAST THINGS
Coming Soon! My new novel, THE STARK BEAUTY OF LAST THINGS, will be published in October 2023. It tells the story of four characters, each of whom is struggling to hold onto, protect, or find a home in a beautiful coastal town in the face of climate change and run-away development. The novel explores our connection…
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