the morning, which is mine post image

I’ve been waking up in the mornings and ignoring my phone. Heating my water for tea and looking out the window instead. I started doing this before Christmas, but in the past week it’s been saving me, as I’m sure you understand. Austin Kleon made me do it. I wrote last month about listening to [...]

december 2020

december 2020 post image

How to show up and write a blog post right now? How to catch up? How to make it worthy of this unprecedented time? How to say everything there is to say?I’ll start small. One thing I’ve been doing to get through this time is writing in my backyard–something I’d never done before the pandemic. But [...]

when we were young post image

I’ve been taking lots of calls and emails from families considering pulling their kids out of school to homeschool this fall. Not “homeschool” as in doing online classwork, but taking the leap, separating from schools altogether, and doing things their own way. A silver lining to this devastating pandemic: homeschooling is expanding at unprecedented rates. [...]

Here’s another video for you! In my dreams, families far and wide will start up virtual writer’s workshops during this difficult, cooped-up time. I’m going to show you how–and it’s simple! The video offers an overview; I lay out a plan below. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_DRQC9BEZ4/ If you still need convincing, in my last video I talked about how [...]

new essay at salon post image

I’m thrilled to have an essay up at Salon today. For all the families who suddenly find themselves home with their kids. I keep seeing them on social media: The “school schedules” written on kitchen whiteboards, shared proudly by parents newly tasked with home-schooling in the face of a pandemic. Those whiteboards make my heart [...]

#suddenlyhomeschooling post image

Hello! See that photo there? That was our first day homeschooling. More than 22 years ago.If you’ve come here via Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or who knows where, welcome. Especially if you’re a parent who suddenly finds yourself home with your kids and that’s not where you planned to be. Please let me introduce [...]