Changing Lanes and Taking Risks

‘Stay in your lane’ is a frequent social media soundbite that is not so much advice as it is admonishment. And I get it. I do. There’s only so much a millionaire can say about living on the poverty line, for example. Or that an expert on Russian poetry can tell me about when to […]

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Retreating—In a Good Way

When is a retreat a good retreat?  When it’s a writer’s retreat.  Actually, there are many forms of healthy and healing retreat. Last weekend I indulged in several of them: I took off to a friend’s place in the Blue Mountains, met with writer-friends, ate fresh scones with jam and cream (essential fuel for writing), […]

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Angel at my Keyboard

I had a childlessness-related wobble the other day. I was watching a soppy movie (don’t at me) and it ended with a father promising to teach his baby daughter how to play basketball.  I’m not usually a fan of Hallmark treacle. I can’t stand the over-sentimentalism that dominates the genre of ‘family’ movies. But this […]

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