Close Call
Metal buckets evoke a feeling in me that’s hard to shake. Whenever I see one, a memory comes rushing back.
Essays
Grasshopper
James was the only person I’d talked to in the first week of moving to Nashville, outside of my husband and the local coffee shop guy. We would be spending many hours together, just the two of us in this little car. I wanted him to like me.
Piano Lessons
For years, I imagined how much fuller my life would be if I could strike up a tune at a party, if I had the secret knowledge of music that every one of my friends seemed to have acquired. I felt that something was missing, something that made me a bit inferior to everyone I knew.
There’s No Place Like Home
I am drawn to the homes of famous writers like a wayfaring pilgrim on a lifelong literary crusade. Somehow, I manage to talk my patient husband into going along for the ride. But he doesn’t really mind. He has seen what these nerdy excursions mean to me.
The Gift of the Magis
I knew what it was instantly. Even shrouded beneath a bedsheet, the shape was undisguisable.
Making a Mess With Words
It dawned on me that I have neglected words. I’ve treated them as a means to an end, nothing more. That realization is just one of the lessons Henry led me to. Reading with a child, I’ve discovered, is a continual learning experience for everyone involved.
