New Year’s Eve, 2006. Four months earlier, I had moved to a different state to attend graduate school, leaving behind my family, my church, and a particularly good friend in whom I was romantically interested. It wasn’t a huge secret that I wanted this friend to be more than a friend, but I’d never outright …
Even though I love music, I’m not a huge concert-goer. I can’t really explain why. Music often moves me to tears, especially live music, but for some reason, attending concerts was never a priority for me. Even so, I have been to a handful of good ones (some of which will prove what a nerd …
When I worked for a county library system in Ohio, one of my responsibilities was to create and facilitate a new adult book group at the central location. There had been a group running for years on Monday evenings, and our director wanted to add a second option during the day. I tried a few …
I love the day before Thanksgiving. It's one of my favorite days of the year. I can remember this as far back as early high school, when my aunt and uncle took us to Red Wings hockey games for a few consecutive years on the evening before Thanksgiving. We’d have dinner at Pizza Papalis in …
I don’t often publicly state my political views or alignment, and I’m not going to do so here, either. I’ve been called “apolitical” and “politically unplugged.” I don’t disagree with either. I pay enough attention to make decisions about voting, and that’s about it. On the rare occasion I do post something remotely political, I …
Continue reading Person over Platform: A Rare Word on Politics
I am currently on a weekend trip with three of my closest friends from high school. We’re staying in a house just across from Grand Traverse Bay, on the northernmost tippy-top of the Leelanau Peninsula in lower Michigan. It’s an amazing spot, and I love these girls, so I’m a happy lady right now. In …
Welcome to a new series on my blog where, every Saturday, I'll choose a theme and ramble--perhaps coherently--about six different but related topics. Since today is the first installment, I’ll start with Six Firsts, listed in chronological order: First Airplane Ride: When I was 18 months old, my mom and I flew from Detroit to …
I was born and raised in Michigan and lived there (mostly) until I was 24. Then I moved just south to Ohio, where I lived for 13 years. I have a big place in my heart for these two Midwestern states, and writing my book, which is set in both, as well as on the …
I read an article recently about the pandemic, and how because of our greatly increased bandwidth, employers everywhere have realized that it’s just not that important for employees to be in the office. Zoom and other virtual meeting platforms have taken the place of in-person meetings, and office buildings, especially in New York City, could …
Emily DeArdo decided more than a decade ago to share her experience living with Cystic Fibrosis. In more ways than one, she is an inspiration. I've asked her to share a little about her story as an author. When did you discover your love for writing? I think I've always loved writing. I remember writing …
