Politics and Writing Biden chooses Amanda Gorman as youngest known inaugural poet Tomorrow’s Inaugural Poet is a Young Black Female Writer Award-winning Black female writer Amanda Gorman, 22, is set to become the youngest inaugural poet in memory when she recites her work at President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration Wednesday. Thanks to Nancy Hofmann for the heads up. Read in The Hill: Click here to access this resource. Social Justice Social Justice and America’s Habit of Denial Denial Is the Heartbeat of America. All of what we saw at the U.S. Capitol is part of America. But what’s also part of America is denying all of what is part of America. Actually, this denial is the ... [Continue Reading]

I can't believe this is the hundredth set of resources I've sent out during this pandemic. Phew. And we're still in the thick of it--to say the least. I'm thankful for my routines, for my classes and the oases they provide, for my students and their passionate honesty, for nature and my ability to walk and swim. To move forward with my own goals--in whatever small ways I can control things (or try to!). But I'm also exhausted--as is almost everyone I talk to. And here's why: Below, I remind you about the reconciliation summit I'll be part of at the end of this month. And then I move on to today's resources. You'll see that I've included several of the best things I've read (or listened to) in the aftermath of the January 6th insurgency at the capital. Several of the pieces ... [Continue Reading]

Coronavirus & the Pandemic Response How COVID-19 Hollowed Out a Generation of Young Black Men Institutional Racism & the Terrible Epidemic of Covid-19 Deaths in Young Black Men, a powerful look at the reasons why, from Pro-Publica. How COVID-19 Hollowed Out a Generation of Young Black Men. This is a must read if you want to understand the impact of racism in the United States, and the ongoing health disparities between Black and White. Click here to access this resource. Post-Vaccine Behavior: Can I go Wild? Once you or someone in your family is vaccinated…now what exactly can or can’t you do? Emily Oster breaks it down ... [Continue Reading]

I’M SPEAKING AT A FREE RECONCILIATION SUMMIT Some of you may or may not know this about me, but I’ve been fascinated with the topic of reconciliation for years. My mother and I were estranged for years and ultimately made peace with each other. That is the subject of my memoir, Wholehearted, and was the subject of my 2000 book, I Thought We’d Never Speak Again: The Road from Estrangement to Reconciliation. I’m fascinated by what keeps people apart and what makes it possible for them to make peace with each other--or at least inside themselves. I’ll be a speaker at a terrific free event, hosted by Yasmin Kerkez, at the end of this month, January 26-28: Moving Beyond Family Struggles Summit. I’m one of a number of ... [Continue Reading]

Dear Writers and Friends, I’ve had the great honor and privilege of teaching at Tassajara Zen Center retreat for the past few summers. This past July, my in-person retreat with my friend and colleague, the wonderful meditation teacher Tova Green, was canceled because of Covid. But now, under the auspices of Tassajara, Tova and I will be offering a one-day online retreat on Saturday, January 9th, entitled Writing Our Way to Hope and Commitment. It will be the first retreat I have taught since the spring and the only one on my calendar. Please join me for this very rare and special opportunity. Here are the details: Writing Our Way ... [Continue Reading]

Dear Writers and Friends, I’ve had the great honor and privilege of teaching at Tassajara Zen Center retreat for the past few summers. This past July, my in-person retreat with my friend and colleague, the wonderful meditation teacher Tova Green, was canceled because of Covid. But now, under the auspices of Tassajara, Tova and I will be offering a one-day online retreat on Saturday, January 9th, entitled Writing Our Way to Hope and Commitment. It will be the first retreat I have taught since the spring and the only one on my calendar. Please join me for this very rare and special opportunity. Here are the details: Writing Our Way ... [Continue Reading]

Dear Writers, I’m emerging from a two-week break from teaching and my normal pandemic routines. Karyn and I had plans to go to Mexico to see our grandkids during this time, but canceled as Covid cases spiked around us. I decided to take the time off as a creative staycation. In the midst of the insanity of the exiting administration, surging deaths, a vaccine rollout, and the end of this horrible year, I’ve been happily ensconced in my own creative bubble, remembering that I am not just a writing teacher, but an author! I pulled out my memoir, Wholehearted, which I completed a year ago. I had not looked at it since then—like me, Wholehearted has been in pandemic limbo. I really didn’t know how I would feel about the book after a year away, and I used every procrastination tactic ... [Continue Reading]

Dear Resource Readers, I’m going to take a staycation/holiday break from teaching, social media, and putting together these biweekly resources. This will be the last issue for the next couple of weeks. I’ll be back with more for you in the New Year. Thank God it will be a new year! You can keep emailing me referrals and ideas if they’re not time-limited. But I won’t be reading them or responding for a while! Have a good holiday and stay safe, Laura Dear Writers, I wanted to share this piece by my student, Nancy Rosulek Kramer, the mother of four young children, in response to the prompt, “What is Broken?” It’s a thoughtful look at the consumerism that all too frequently subsumes Christmas. As we all head into the holidays needing to turn our normal traditions on ... [Continue Reading]

Dear Writers and Friends, I’ve had the great honor and privilege of teaching at Tassajara Zen Center retreat for the past few summers. This past July, my in-person retreat with my friend and colleague, the wonderful meditation teacher Tova Green, was canceled because of Covid. But now, under the auspices of Tassajara, Tova and I will be offering a one-day online retreat on Saturday, January 9th, entitled Writing Our Way to Hope and Commitment. It will be the first retreat I have taught since the spring and the only one on my calendar. Please join me for this very rare and special opportunity. Here are the details: Writing Our Way ... [Continue Reading]

Dear Writers and Friends, I’ve had the great honor and privilege of teaching at Tassajara Zen Center retreat for the past few summers. This past July, my in-person retreat with my friend and colleague, the wonderful meditation teacher Tova Green, was canceled because of Covid. But now, under the auspices of Tassajara, Tova and I will be offering a one-day online retreat on Saturday, January 9th, entitled Writing Our Way to Hope and Commitment. It will be the first retreat I have taught since the spring and the only one on my calendar. Please join me for this very rare and special opportunity. Here are the details: Writing Our Way ... [Continue Reading]