AmiMaxine

Andrea Gibson

I’ve been trying to come up with something to say about the death of Andrea Gibson for almost a month, and words continue to fail me. It’s strange, mourning the death of someone you didn’t know very well – but felt like you did. The amount of time I physically spent with Andrea added upContinue reading “Andrea Gibson”

A Return to Pen Players

Earlier this summer, I did something I haven’t done in a really long time – attended a play at Peninsula Players in Door County. It’s somehow been about twenty years (maybe plus a couple more?) since I was last here. When I was a kid (young teen?), a friend of ours, Robert Thompson, told myContinue reading “A Return to Pen Players”

First Friday Rec: A Darker Shade of Magic

Title: A Darker Shade of MagicAuthor: V. E. SchwabGenre: Fantasy, Fiction, AdventurousPages: 413Publication Date: 24 Feb 2015StoryGraph* Moods: Adventurous, Mysterious, DarkHow I Stumbled Upon This Book: Book ClubOther Books by this author: There are many – the others in this specific series are A Gathering of Shadows, A Conjuring of Light, and The Fragile ThreadsContinue reading “First Friday Rec: A Darker Shade of Magic”

The Greenhouse

I love a good café. I’ve certainly not kept that a secret. Any time I travel, I check out at least one local spot (more if I can), check out their mocha or their chai (sometimes both), check out their ambiance. I feel at home in a café, even when I’m far away from it.Continue reading “The Greenhouse”

World Mythology

In the fall, I get to teach a course I’ve been eager to teach for some time – a Humanities class called World Mythology. I’m sure you can figure out what the class will be about based on the title. 🙂 I spent what free time I could find during the end of Spring semesterContinue reading “World Mythology”

Camping

I’ve been camping since the womb. Quite literally. My mother tent camped pregnant with me. There are a lot of photos (and a few vague memories) of my family tent camping at Peninsula State Park (which was also the campground my dad had been camping at since he was five). I’ve been told that weContinue reading “Camping”

First Friday Rec: Educated

Title: EducatedAuthor: Tara WestoverGenre: nonfiction, memoir, reflectivePages: 368Publication Date: Feb 8, 2022StoryGraph* Moods: emotional, reflective, inspiringHow I Stumbled Upon This Book: The cover caught my attention while wondering through a bookshop.Other Books by this author: none as of this writing*StoryGraph also offers content warnings. Description: Imagine being seventeen and never having stepped foot into aContinue reading “First Friday Rec: Educated”

Rogue Characters: Murder Mystery Edition

Have you ever had a writer friend who talked about how sometimes it felt like they weren’t writing the story – their characters were? I know. It sounds absurd. But sometimes – it really does feel that way. Last week, I had rounded 80K on the first draft of my murder mystery novel, and IContinue reading “Rogue Characters: Murder Mystery Edition”

An Evening with Heather Headley

Twenty-two years ago (plus a couple months), I saw the national tour of Aida at the Weidner Center, which was located on my college’s campus. I took full advantage of the fact that my city’s performing arts center was walking distance and offered student rush tickets. I loved it so much that I went backContinue reading “An Evening with Heather Headley”

Woodfield Mall

I’ll admit, this post is mostly for my own nostalgia. But a couple weeks ago (by the time this posts, more like a month), I was listening to a podcast where one of the hosts, who is also from the Chicagoland area, mentioned Woodfield Mall – which is located in Schaumburg, IL, and is theContinue reading “Woodfield Mall”