The Straight Stitch
An Ode, Overdue
I originally posted this on my personal Substack last year. I considered editing it to post here, but as I started to change things, it altered the meaning of it, too, so the dates are off, but the meaning of it holds together better this way. National Library Week, runs April 19-26, 2026. A couple…
On Looking
Every winter I admire the stark, leafless silhouettes of tree branches against the sky. I’ve loved this snowy, cold winter, and I’ve complained bitterly about the mild ones we’ve had over the last few years. It’s not that I love being cold or hemmed in by snow, but I want to want spring. I want…
What next?
The other day I was working with someone who had written the first full draft of a short story, and I asked how they were feeling about it. “Not great.” I asked why. “It feels…awkward. I don’t like how it sounds.” They were clearly disappointed—possibly discouraged—and I waited a beat before I responded so we…