It’s been a while, no? I flew down to Tucson in October and existed for almost three months without internet access, except when at the library. It was glorious and isolating, both at the same time. I got a lot of writing done, and read a lot, and watched DVDs on the small TV screen… Read More Pushcart Prize nomination, and other news
The damnest thing happened last month. Seriously (our dog) and I were running trails with a friend and her husky, when we saw a lone black bear. And Seriously walked over and kissed it. WTF, eh? Here’s how it happened. We were on the Campbell Tract trails and stopped to water the dogs by the… Read More My dog kissed a bear (Seriously) and, yes, yes, it’s summer in Alaska
I was in a slump. I returned to Alaska a few weeks ago, everything muddy and brown, the trees bare of leaves, last year’s trash blowing across the streets. I was used to the sun-filled warmth of Tucson, to hot days and balmy nights, to sitting out in the yard and reading and then running… Read More Award-winning essay, and returning to Alaska
Everyone’s posting black and white photos on Facebook lately and so when someone challenged me (thanks, Gail!), I converted a few of this year’s pics into black and white. I was surprised at what I saw. Black and white feels so much more distinct and complex. Each layer matters, each angle. Moods emerge where color… Read More Black and white challenge
Well, Foundry doesn’t want any of the five (or was it four?) poems I submitted. They did mention that they liked Sundays, after the cat dies but unfortunately couldn’t find a place for it. I think this means that they thought it sucked a little less than the rest of my work. Submitting is a painful… Read More Another rejection, and it’s all about the dog, the dog
It’s summer in Alaska and the days are long and glorious. It’s light until around midnight now and even when it’s dark, it’s not truly dark. The twilight stretches out, dim and filmy, so that even at 3 a.m., you can see perfectly well, or at least well enough. Earlier this week, we took an… Read More Bear paw prints, and long and lovely days
I’ll admit it–it’s been a bit hard to get back into the Alaska groove after spending so much time in sunny Arizona, followed by a month with family back in Philly (where temps reached 85 degrees). As much as I love Alaska, Anchorage doesn’t get much sunshine. In fact, we average 126 sunny days a… Read More “Forgotten Women,” another poetry pub, and so many moose
I envy my dog. I envy that she gets to lie on the sofa, blissfully unaware that the American people are reeling from the results of Tuesday night’s election. Some of us are reeling in disbelief while others are reeling from celebration. My dog doesn’t know this, and she doesn’t care. She lies on the… Read More My dog is lucky
I just saw this on BookBub and I can’t shut up about it. It’s one of my favorite books! Okay, I have a million favorite books. But Ben Fountain’s Brief Encounters With Che Guevara ranks high. It obviously ranks on everyone’s list for it won the 2008 PEN/Hemingway Award (I don’t know about you but I can… Read More One of my favorite books, on sale
Cinthia Ritchie 