American Mary Borden married a missionary, financed a hospital in World War I France, had an affair, published novels — and wrote poetry.
Writing Prompt: The Alphabet—Start With Who You Are
Callie Feyen tells a touching and inspiring story about one daughter who sings her way to amazingness. Come sing your way, too, through writing a memory of something you learned with passion.
By Hand: Pets
By Hand is a monthly prompt focused on freeing our words by using our hands. This month, we’re exploring taking care of our pets with Megan Willome as our guide.
Great Friendship Tales: Shakespeare and ‘Exit, Pursued by a Bear’
Great friendship tales, like that of Hermione and Paulina from Shakespeare’s ‘The Winter’s Tale,’ live again in ‘Exit, Pursued by a Bear’ by E.K. Johnston.
Pod Club: Radiolab’s “Memory and Forgetting”
We are discussing Radiolab’s podcast “Memory and Forgetting” and exploring what it is to remember, what it is to forget, and how both of those processes can be altered.
Memoir Notebook: Three Summers, Part 2: Bucking Hay
Richard Maxson continues his boyhood farming tale, reflecting on the harvest of transcendent memories cultivated in an alfalfa field.
The Origin of a Monster: Happy Birthday, Frankenstein!
The gothic novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley is 200 years old this year, and its core concern about the unintended consequences of science still apply.
Poetry Prompt: The Farm—Endings and Pretending
What poetry can be found in an ending? Can we play pretend long enough to believe? Join Callie Feyen as she writes about disintegrated definitions and why poets make some of the best friends.
The Problem with Laura Ingalls Wilder: part 2, Half-Pint
There is a problem with Laura Ingalls Wilder, nicknamed Half-Pint. It’s the reason readers love her, despite the questions about some of Wilder’s cultural perspectives.
Great Friendship Tales: Provence, 1970—More Than Just Different
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Great Friendship Tales: Through Thick and Thin
Some of the stories we first love have friendship at the core, teaching us something about being a good friend and pursuing a good life.
A Strangely Contemporary Verse Play: “Murder in the Cathedral” by T.S. Eliot
“Murder in the Cathedral” by T.S. Eliot, written and produced in 1935, was one of the last verse plays written for the stage. It is also oddly contemporary.
Poetry Prompt: Farm Blackout Poetry
Not sure where to begin when crafting a poem (or learning about a new concept)? Join Callie Feyen to write blackout poetry from new and unfamiliar material.
The Problem with Laura Ingalls Wilder: part 1, Legacy
Why was the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award renamed the Children’s Literature Legacy Award? It has to do with being eight years old.
Great Friendship Tales: Provence, 1970 Book Club—The Writing Question
One of the most complex and tender questions a writer occasionally faces is “What next?” Join us, along with Julia Child and M.F.K. Fisher, for an exploration of how friendships sometimes give us surprising answers.
Great Friendship Tales: The Power of Sam and Frodo Starts With Tolkien
Some of the most enduring tales ever told rely on great friends, like Sam and Frodo in The Lord of the Rings. Where did Tolkien find inspiration for these characters? You might discover the answers starting with his own life.
Pod Club Announcement: Listen with us to Radiolab’s “Memory and Forgetting”
Join us for our next Pod Club discussion over Radiolab’s “Memory and Forgetting” and discuss how memories are formed, erased and altered.
Marjorie Maddox and “Transplant, Transport, Transubstantiation”
The poems of “Transplant, Trnasport, Transubstantiation” by Marjorie Maddox take us to the world of change and loss, and what sustains us.
Writing Prompt: Play With Your Food
Creative nonfiction writer, Callie Feyen, takes help from poet Tania Runyan to write food poetry. Come along and craft your own poem or story—purple carrots optional!
Children’s Book Club: “Two Friends, Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass”
Drink tea, change the world. Join us for a Children’s Book Club discussion of ‘Two Friends: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass’ by Dean Robbins, illustrated by Sean Qualls & Selina Alko.