Swagger & Ink
Topics
- Academia 1
- Ageism 1
- Aging 2
- Aging Angry 2
- Amanda Moments 2
- America 10
- Anger 2
- Chavela 1
- Cruelty 1
- Death 2
- Essay 2
- Family 8
- Inspiration 6
- Interview 10
- LGBTQ 1
- Marriage 1
- Narrative Inquiry 8
- Nature 4
- New Zealand 15
- News 1
- Poetry 22
- Presentation 1
- Publication 3
- Punctuation 1
- Recipe 4
- Review 25
- Short Story 5
- Signs 1
- Social Policy 1
- Teaching 1
- Teaching and Learning 1
- War 2
- Women 3
- Words 3
- Work 1
- Writing 3
A Place for Dad
Equine Tales and the Extraordinary Fiction of Jess Bowers
A mammoth horse crashes through a carnival floor. A mysterious mare named Lady Wonder solves crimes in 1930s Virginia. A Harvard graduate meets his fate alongside his mule in the American West. These are not just stories—they're historical events transformed into spellbinding fiction in Jess Bowers's debut collection, Horse Show.
Jess is passionately committed to her work, which she describes, not only as historical fiction, but also as anti-animal-abuse narratives. Her work combines obscure facts with shrewd imagination.
In this blog, you can read about her life with horses, her writing practice, and the origins of these amazing stories.
When Having it all Means Doing it all
A working mom’s agenda for the next wave.
Gad Beck’s Memoir: A breath of fresh air in these cynical times
As a gay Jewish man, Beck was the target of persecution; yet he worked tirelessly to save lives and help Jews escape Nazi Berlin.
Lost: Do we ever really lose the people we love?
Thanks to your feedback, my short story, “Lost,” has been published in Imogene’s Notebook on Medium.com. And, the really great news is that it has a new ending. I’d love to see what you think of it
The story is behind a paywall, but you can read it for free using this “Friend Link.”
Have a wonderful day!
The Pianist’s Only Daughter, by Katy Betts Adams
Katy had me by the third page when she wrote, “. . . when I peer at myself in the bathroom mirror, I hold the skin folds of my chin taut against my earlobes, erasing the years with one small motion.” This precious moment sets the tone for a narrative that is revealing, honest, and beautifully told.
Insidious Ageism: Why are Old People Disappearing?
I didn’t take ageism seriously until I started to disappear. . .
A Woman in Berlin: A haunting account of war and survival
I was reluctant to write this post. But the violence in Israel and Gaza, not to mention the forever war in the Ukraine and other skirmishes around the globe have me thinking about an unforgettable book written by a brave woman.
A Woman in Berlin is the diary written by an insightful woman who lived through the 1945 the Russian occupation of her city. The author was “anonymous” when I discovered it years ago. This haunting narrative can deepen our compassion and strengthen our resolve to strive for peace.
Cultivating Kindness: A lesson from the Kiwi heartland
These days we could all use a little more kindness. In New Zealand I learned one approach to raising our kindness quotient. Hint: there’s a role for mirror neurons. I hope you’ll enjoy the post!
My Brief but Spectacular Career As a Punctuation Enforcer
But hey, punctuation goes inside the quotes. Everyone agrees.
Don’t they?
Say Please: Or don’t? Pretty words can’t erase ugly realities
It was the pumpkin seeds that started it. An awkward confrontation between two women with very little in common raises questions about what it means to be polite.
Sweet new offerings: A book and a new website!
Dear Friends,
The past few months have been crazy busy as I’ve been getting ready to launch two new offerings. You’ve heard a lot about the first one…yes, Aging Angry is finally available for pre-sale. Use this code: ASFLYQ6 for 30% off when you purchase the hardbound copy through Oxford University Press. Click here for their aging angry product page. An ebook is in the works and I’m hoping it will be out in paperback too.
The second offering is a brand new website introducing the book and my new blog, “Swagger & Ink.” You can access it here. I’d love to hear what you think of this new design.
What We Fed to the Manticore (for the animal in us all)
Talia Lakshmi Kolluri transports the reader into the lives of beasts ranging from donkey to vulture, from wolf to whale in her astonishing debut collection of short stories published by Tin House.
Between Monks and Monkeys: A Joyful Read
With great compassion and a charming sense of humor, the work explores Gill’s adventures as an English teacher with Tibet Charity in Dharamshala, India.
Excursions – by Ceridwen Hall
Ceridwen Hall breaks new ground in Excursions, her second collection of poetry. These poems seem to relish the freedom afforded by white space.
Skin Elegies, by Lance Olsen
Olsen's prose never ceases to astonish me. Skin Elegies is no exception. Review and Interview inside.
“Patient Zero” (A COVID tale)
In Feb, 2020, a student in New Zealand accused me of infecting her with COVID. Roiling with guilt at 3am, I wrote this story.
“Processed Meats” Essays on food, flesh, and navigating disaster. By Nicole Walker
Immersed in Walker’s latest collection of essays, I found myself laughing, crying, and scratching my head.
For Work / For TV by Fee Griffin
After a long and proud history as a “nucleaus of literary arts and experimentation in Amsterdam” and the completion of twelve gorgeous issues of their print journal, Versal is moving into books.
Automotive by Ceridwen Hall
Ceridwen Hall loves turning experience into poems. She likes to take things slowly, registering the details that reveal what's underneath.
“Breathe Deeply, Read Widely.”