A Retreat of One’s Own ~ Shake Rag Alley

Mining for Story A writer once said something like this: What no spouse of a writer understands is that a writer is working when she is looking out the window. It’s true, isn’t it? Non-writers are hard pressed to understand the pursuit of the perfect word, the best story, the most complicated characters. And so, […]

Have a Great Summer ~ And Don’t Forget to Write!

I am one day away from a self-imposed writing retreat to our Mt Carroll, IL house (it’s up for sale, by the way, in case you are looking for your own retreat) that will start with a writing weekend with two of my best writing buddies, Gail and Jana. (I just noticed that I have […]

Shaking Things Up At Shake Rag Alley

William Burroughs, Franz Kafka, Sylvia Plath, Sylvia Plath, Maxine Hong Kingston, William Faulkner, Kara Walker, William Blake, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat. What do these writers and artists have in common? They all use both writing and drawing in their creative practices. And at Shake Rag Alley in Mineral Point, WI, August 8 – 11, 2011 […]

On Writing Away ~ Choosing a Writers’ Workshop Retreat

Bolstered by coffee, cookies, and support, a group of four writers gathered together at Shake Rag Alley Center for Arts and Crafts in Mineral Point, Wisconsin to take part in four days of writing, reading, manuscript review, and story sharing. It was my good fortune to direct the June Writers’ Workshop at Shake Rag Alley, a […]

Writing in Mineral Point

I’ve been invited to teach a writing workshop at Shake Rag Alley Center for Arts and Crafts in lovely Mineral Point, WI. Much of this charming little town west of Madison was settled by early miners and has a feel similar to a Cornish village. A stroll from the high street, Shake Rag Alley, Inc., occupies […]