The Stories We Do Not Tell

rejoice that our lips
did not permit more stragglers,
more detail, more vulnerability
toward those to whom it does not belong.

River Song

for the first time,
i don’t want to go anywhere.

i want to stand Here and let
the rushing water flow on its own,
past my toes, over my chilled skin;

let it pull my hair forward over my face,
blind me and pass me by
instead of carrying me along.

Why publishing triggers impostor syndrome

We’re terrified to deceive you into thinking we’re “good enough.” We feel weirdly guilty for making every sale.

How to get your rebellious monkey brain to write every day

Do you make vows to write every day, but fail at keeping them? Here’s the trick to solving that…

Do you smell that?

Scientists have proven that our olfactory sense is the most direct route to memory — and yet we can’t keep any of it.

When I die…

Given warning, these are the things I would do.

Do you feel validated?

Imagine someone you knew did this for you on a daily basis. Imagine you were someone for someone else.

Simplicity challenge

From the far corner of the living room, our four-year-old G piped up and said, “We should get rid of all my toys, too. I don’t really need them.” So, we did.

A boy and his pillow casket

He sits in it all the time. Usually, it’s an alien spaceship or a Pokémon ball or a house or a bed. Today, it was the casket for his baby-doll’s father. (So… him.)

The truest December memories

It was adrenaline and restless sleep, being banished from the living room, overhearing the adults joking and wrapping. It was the feeling of flying, knowing you’d be safely caught.