Happy Birthday

Nineteen years ago — at this very time, by the way — my daughters Annie and Pearl were born. Annie was born first, at 6:40, if I remember right. Then Pearl, at 7:06.

“To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each others’ hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time.” – Clara Ortega

Happy birthday, girls. I’m so glad I have you in my life, and I’m so glad you have each other.

Author Magazine Interview with Meghan O'Rourke

"It is so painful and so terrible to go through a loss, but ideally it deepens us and connects us to others." -Meghan O'Rourke, poet and author of The Long Goodbye. 

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Author Magazine Interview with Meghan O'Rourke

 — click on the link to watch this interview with Bill Kenower. O’Rourke says some wonderfully wise things about how she navigated her grief over her mother’s death.

“It is so painful and so terrible to go through a loss, but ideally it deepens us and connects us to others.” -Meghan O’Rourke, poet and author of The Long Goodbye. 

If Flannery could do it…I can do it.

“Every morning between 9 and 12 I go to my room and sit before a piece of paper. Many times I just sit for three hours with no ideas coming to me. But I know one thing. If an idea does come between 9 and 12, I am there ready for it.” -Flannery O’Connor

This morning I am back at work … or trying to be. I found this quote in Barbara Abercrombie’s A Year of Writing Dangerously, and it helps to think of the great Flannery O’Connor staring at a blank sheet of paper, too.

 

Escape into Life

 

Thanks to Kathleen Kirk, several of my poems are now published (with art!) at Escape Into Life: http://www.escapeintolife.com/poetry/bethany-reid/

You should also check out Kathleen’s personal blog — Wait! I Have a Blog?! — which includes links to her poetry. Today she blogged about thistle, which explains my featured photo (rather proud that I captured this).