I finally decided to watch the movie "A Collateral Beauty" which starred a cast of talented, and amazing actors/actresses (Kate Winslet, Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren--c'mon!). Not to worry--I won't spoil the movie for you. I have my own version of understanding exactly what a "Collateral Beauty" means. When I think of the word "collateral," I … Continue reading The Collateral Beauty
I remember the first time I saw snow. It was in Aschaffenburg, Germany and it was December. Snow was a rare unfamiliar thing. Its white speck of nothing comes down and becomes a white speck of everything; covering the ground and all those who stood outside to watch as quiet whiteness gently lands on … Continue reading What One Remembers in Her 30s.
Nowhere. Somewhere begins nowhere. It is nowhere that we find ourselves asking where to go next? Where to go from here? Our lives depend on where we are at the exact moment in time and it is where we define ourselves. My nowhere is here. At a pinnacle in my life that I find often … Continue reading Beginning.
We've driven the highway from Fairbanks to Anchorage numerous times throughout the years. The trips were often for soccer games, football games, wrestling tournaments, etc. The drive has become a ritual. But, as the years continue on, and the boys have grown and moved to college, we drive to Anchorage for some down time … Continue reading On the Road… again.
Salvador looked through his door and winked at me as I sat there in front of my desk. I turned my head away to avoid the distraction, and decided to look out my window. It was a good day to be outside. Instead, there I sat across the hallway from Salvador attempting to … Continue reading Dali and Me.
Jackie is my check and balance, and she is also my Storytexter. What I mean by this centers on the idea of memory, and how such memories are different for each person. When we were growing up, the stories my Grandmother told us evolved throughout time. In fact, they evolved each night when my grandmother told us these stories. Jackie reminded me that when my grandmother wanted to imply a moral code, she would embed such morality into her storytelling.
Years ago, I wrote an essay titled Omission and it was focused on the trials and tribulations of raising children, and how in some ways they are quite literally, assholes. I wrote about the beauty of motherhood, and how this commonality is in fact a band of sisterhood going a journey of becoming and/or being a … Continue reading A True Omission..
There have been articles written throughout the years how the death of the oral tradition has been linked to the death of a cultural identity. In Alaska, there have been movements to preserve many of the Alaskan native languages. We have museums that archive and preserve recordings of our Alaskan elders--some have long ago … Continue reading The Evolution of Oral Tradition
For "A Reason For Being"... Let me begin by stating that thesis defenses for a Master in Fine Arts is no joke. I am still in a blank space attempting to comprehend all the little bits and pieces of the defense. There were questions left, and right by my committee members--and they were unbelievably amazing--because … Continue reading The Thesis Defense..
The Echo Muse 