Saturday I attended my first author fair, not quite knowing what to expect. Was it worth the trip? Hmmm…
Rumors of a Past Life
It’s crazy, isn’t it? That it’s already April? One fourth of the year is gone, never to come again. We leave behind the snow (for the most part) and the cold (comparatively) and as we look forward we think of what we’ll be doing this summer. Yet there are things to remind us of what is past. There are still piles of melting snow at the edge of parking lots. Still plenty of evidence of the season we’ve just left when you look around the yard.
I was recently reminded of a time past, when an old name floated from someone’s lips…
Contemplating Spring
It looks like we’re in for a real spring this year. And I am once more taking up my plans for the back yard…
On the Depressing State of the Small Town Parade
Quaint small towns with cute downtowns ought to have the best little parades around. But, as I recently discovered, this is not always the case…
The Piñata Effect
I am never on the cutting edge. I am always reticent to jump on a bandwagon. And now I have a name for it…
Mispronounciations
Sometimes, you get a word *almost* right. Sometimes, you just get it wrong.
My Interview on the Write Now Workshop Podcast
Writers! Readers! Those interested in history and current events!
There’s something for everyone in this podcast where I discuss We Hope for Better Things with the lovely Kitty Bucholtz for her Write Now Workshop.
And if you want to watch the interview, you can do that too, right here on YouTube. I even showered and put on real human clothes for it, so check it out.
During the interview we talk about the challenges of writing a book that takes in so much history and writing black characters while white, as well as how writing and reading books about people who have a different experience of the world than we do can form us into more empathetic and compassionate people.
I had a lot of fun talking to Kitty about these topics (and more) and I hope you’ll enjoy eavesdropping on our conversation!
New Obsessions and Old Houses
We have reached the last week — the last few days! — of February. Our family has spent all 25 days of it down to one car because…
We may be able to remedy that today.
In the meantime, I’ve been podcasting, but last week I forgot to let you know about it! So here’s what you missed last week — my somewhat sheepish confession that I’m just a little bit obsessed with James McAvoy…
And here’s this week’s episode, about some of the surprises old houses hold for their new owners…
I hope you enjoy them. I also hope that the rest of February passes painlessly by for you. And if you’re a praying person, do say one for us that we get a car today. Much obliged.
Manners
It occurred to me some time ago that my everyday-going-about-lifeness would be more pleasant if my parents had done a worse job teaching me good manners. Because then I wouldn’t notice when other people were rude.
That’s what this is about.
Three Recurring Dreams
Do you ever have the same dream pop up again and again? Ever wonder what it means? I don’t ascribe much meaning to my dreams, especially because dream interpretation is so subjective and symbols can mean whatever you want them to. But I do wonder why these themes keep popping up…
Erin Bartels 
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