Laura Davis

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Becky Hall: Hair

October 23, 2013 By Laura Davis 3 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

Becky Hall

Becky Hall is a member of the Thursday night Feedback Group where she's been working on a memoir for the past year. This excerpt of her work in progress reflects her strong narrative style and unique voice.

I am not one for long good-byes. I wanted to just get it over with, to know that I was the one in control of saying farewell to my beautifully long locks, rather than bear a slow, painful witness to their gradual disappearance.   I couldn't stand the thought of my lovely healthy hair being tainted by poison, as would inevitably happen once the drugs entered my bloodstream and traveled to my hair follicles. If I couldn't spare my body the assault of chemotherapy, I at least wanted to spare my hair. I would shave it off myself.

I ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Featured Writers

Robin Morrisette: Recipe for a Successful Cooking Lesson With My Mother

September 25, 2013 By Laura Davis 3 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

Robin Morisette

Robin Morrisette has been a member of the Wednesday morning writing practice class. This is the third in a series of three responses to a prompt I gave last spring--Give me a recipe that has family history embedded in the instructions. The writing was varied and vivid in response to the prompt. You may want to try it. I especially loved how different the responses were for one single room of students! --Laura

RECIPE for a successful cooking lesson with my mother

“I don’t know…. I just did it.”

(my mom’s response whenever you ask her how she made or did something)

Trying to Learn to Cook the Way My Mother Does…

1st: forget the apron, put on your tough skin. 2nd: the key to this, and all her recipes is to ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Featured Writers

Carolina Román: Making Tamales

August 4, 2013 By Laura Davis No Comments - Read & Respond

Carolina

Carolina Román was born in Los Angeles, California. She attended U.C.S.C. and relocated to the Santa Cruz mountains with her three children after graduating. She obtained her teaching credentials and taught in bilingual classes for thirty years. In 2004, she obtained her Masters of Arts in Education at CSUMB. She is developing her writing, something she promised herself she would do when she retired. Carolina prefers memoir writing and poems. In addition to writing, she spends her days playing with her four miniature poodles and taking walks in the redwoods and by the ocean.

One struggle that has been her passion for forty years is the elimination of the injustices as a result of the existence of racism and to promote bilingualism in the ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Featured Writers

Stacy Mitchell: Making Apple Crisp with Grandma

July 29, 2013 By Laura Davis 2 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

Stacy

Stacy Mitchell has been in Laura's Wednesday morning class for less than a year, but has been writing since 6th grade. She is currently working on her grandmother's life story (the inspiration for this writing piece) and other family history projects.  Stacy has four grandchildren under the age of 3, enjoys reading, photography, and loves to travel, especially with her husband Chad. She wrote this in response to the prompt: "Write in the style of a recipe and in the process, reveal something about the life of the person doing the cooking or providing the recipe."

My grandmother was a fantastic cook, living in a small farming community.  I wanted one of her recipes, so I asked, "Grandma, can you show me how to make Apple ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Featured Writers

Caroline Bliss-Isberg: How To Survive A Cancer Diagnosis

April 24, 2013 By Laura Davis 4 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

Caroline and Temi

Caroline Bliss-Isberg is a student in my Friday feedback class and a four-time cancer survivor. I first met Caroline because she was my "cancer mentor" when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer almost six year ago. Her incredibly grace and compassion and wisdom were great stabilizing forces for me at the beginning of my cancer journey. When she brought this piece to class, I knew I had to publish it. I hope you will spread it far and wide.

--Laura

Four times since November 20, 1996, I have sat across the desk from a grave-faced physician, knowing in my heart that the next words I heard would be: “I’m sorry, the biopsy was positive, you have breast cancer; your breast cancer is back; you have a tumor in your lung; I’m so ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Featured Writers

Deb Blackmore: How to Detach from Your Adult Man-Child

March 19, 2013 By Laura Davis 5 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

DebGrinning

Deb Blackmore is a long-term member of the Friday morning feedback class. She is currently working on a novel based on her great grandmother’s journals of her impetuous drive across the country in the summer of 1929.

Before people share their work in each of our weekly Friday morning sessions, we usually warm up with a writing prompt. This was Deb's response to the prompt, "Write a set of directions."

How to Detach From Your Adult Man-Child

1. Try to look him in the eye. This may be difficult as he is likely towering above you. Any and all semblance to the pink and cooing infant he once was has vanished for good. The fashionable stubble on his cheeks and the comfortable way he holds a pint of beer will disconcert you. ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Featured Writers

Laurie Mikulasek: Magic, Memories, San Miguel

February 27, 2013 By Laura Davis 4 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

I left behind three kids’ schedules and my worries about whether or not I'd written instructions about which flavor of Annie’s Organic fruit gummies to pack in their lunches. I left behind my doubts that I wasn’t good enough or qualified to be going to a Writer’s Conference. And I left behind the last days of my 30’s before ringing in my new decade in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

I took the red eye into Leon, a city on the far west side of the Mexican state Guanajuato, then took a 90-minute daybreak shuttle ride east, smack dab through the middle point of Mexico, to San Miguel on the eastern side of the state. I arrived at the hotel disheveled and tired, hoping I didn’t offend the driver with my American-dollars tip, let alone the amount.

[Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Featured Writers

Sarah Savansky: The Support Group

January 27, 2013 By Robert Peters 4 Comments · · · · · · Read & Respond

 

Sarah Savasky has been a long-term member of Laura's Friday morning feedback class. She has won awards for her writing (often in the humor department) and is currently working on a novel about a protagonist coping with chronic illness. We all love Sarah's protagonist, Amy, and the dilemmas she faces. This piece is an excerpt of her novel in progress--Laura

Amy has one foot in a sensible shoe and one foot in a stiletto.  This makes it difficult for her to move forward, or in any direction for that matter.  She is walking a fine line: trying to grasp the subtle difference between resignation and acceptance, self-compassion and self-pity.  She has heard that the journey is more important than the destination but, so far, this ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Featured Writers

Elizabeth Duff: Ode to My Bicycle

January 26, 2013 By Laura Davis No Comments - Read & Respond

Elizabeth Duff is a new member of the Wednesday morning writer's group and the yearlong Memoir Intensive. She has a wonderful knack for writing from the child's point of view, something she does marvelously in this evocative response to the prompt, "Write an ode to an ordinary object."

Ode to My Bicycle

I take a deep scared breath and
Know this time he will let go
I will wobble for a bit then straighten out
I will glide or coast
As soon as I balance around the pine tree
I will have become a new free bird.

The pedals are large, but don’t feel big enough
The handlebars are close, but I am reaching
The seat is uncomfortable, but I settle down 
The chain is pulling me, but how will I ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Featured Writers

Doña Bumgarner: A Conversation with My Frigidaire

December 17, 2012 By Laura Davis No Comments - Read & Respond

Doña Bumgarner writes in the moments in between raising a toddler, buying groceries to feed a hungry teenager, and cooking (apparently) delicious meals for her family. After a few years in a practice class, she found the courage to commit to Laura's Thursday Evening Feedback Class this fall. This piece is in response to one of Laura's all-time favorite prompts: "What my refrigerator would say about me."

A Conversation With My Frigidaire

Oh, hello you. You went to the store? You have more food? Did you not think to check in here first? Where, exactly, do you expect to put that gallon of milk? I'm full.

Oh, well. You might want to check the back. There's probably some expired stuff. There are a couple of Tupperware ... [Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Featured Writers

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More Featured Students?

For years, I’ve been showcasing the work of one of my students in my monthly newsletter and here on my site. If you’d like to see a complete list of the students I’ve published, with links to their work, you can find it in the Featured Student Archives. Just click the link below.

Featured Students

What is the The Writer’s Journey Roadmap?

I send out inspiring quotes and provocative writing prompts via email Tuesday. You can collect them for their own use—or you can post your writing online and enter into dialogue and conversation with a very supportive group of writers who have made this part of their weekly writing practice.

I invite you to become part of my brilliant, supportive, intimate, honest, inspiring free online community.

I hope to see you up on the Roadmap soon!

First time visitor? Click here to learn about our community.

Like this Virtual Vacation?

You can also read about Laura’s travels to:

Peru 2017

In which Laura and Karyn and 18 writers explore Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley of Peru.

Serbia 2017

In which Laura leads a workshop at the Incest Trauma Center.

Greece 2016

In which Laura explores the wonders of Crete and Santorini with a wide-eyed group of Write, Travel, Transform adventurers.

Vietnam 2015/16

In which Laura, who grew up during the Vietnam War, goes to Southeast Asia and finds out what Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are really like today.

Commonweal 2015

A journey toward healing loss and grief in a magnificent Northern California setting.

Scotland 2015

In which Laura returns to Scotland with a new group for another jaunt through the wonders of the Scottish Highlands.

Scotland 2013

In which Laura attends the Edinburgh theatre festival and leads 14 writers to a magical retreat in the highlands of Northern Scotland.

Bali 2013

In which Laura visits Australia, and spends three weeks diving, exploring, and teaching in three regions of Bali.

Florida 2014

A journey into old age in America in which Laura brings her 86-year-old mother to Florida so she can see her last surviving sister one final time.

Mexico 2014

In which Laura attends the San Miguel Writer’s Conference and explores the artistic towns around Patzcuaro.

About Laura Davis

In the course of my career as a communicator, I have also worked as a columnist, talk show host, radio reporter, radio producer, blogger, editor, and speaker. Words have always been at the core of my work and my self-expression. Read More . . .

Photo taken by Jason Ritchey

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What People Are Saying About Laura Davis:

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Retreating with Laura: Julie Sheehan

Julie Sheehan

For many years I put off my dream of writing and traveling. I told myself the kids were too little, my husband could never survive without me, that I couldn't possibly be so selfish. I couldn't imagine realistically stepping out of all of my responsibilities and roles. Then I started attending Laura’s summer retreat at Commonweal in northern California and that became an annual gift to myself for the next three years.

When the opportunity to travel with Laura internationally came up, my Land of Later mentality said I could never pull it off. But when my friend got cancer at age 39, I decided to stop taking life and it's endless opportunities to grow, live, nurture and explore myself for granted.

My children were 6 and 9 when I began allowing myself the luxurious pleasure of taking 10 days to two weeks each year to travel abroad with Laura, to spend time with like minded, soul searching people who share a passion for living and writing, to have all my meals prepared for me, to have the space and freedom to stretch out of my cage and check in with who I am, what I want, and how best to get there.

Laura is a skilled and nurturing teacher who encourages her students to take risks, to grow as human beings, and to be vulnerable. She has provided me with a forum where I can gain all my CEUs and learn techniques on how to become a more engaging writer, all while completing yearly emotional rehab.

I return home from each of Laura’s trip a little wiser, a little more open, and a lot more compassionate. I greet my family, friends and daily life with sparkly, clean energy and a renewed patience, brought about by way of re-writing old stories that I needed to let go of. I come home ready to move forward in my life.

A retreat with Laura Davis is one of the best gifts I ever received and gave myself. It took many years to realize that I was worth the time and financial investment, but now there is no looking back.

Julie Sheehan, Livermore California

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Writing Retreats

Whether you are a beginner, an established writer, a published author, or are looking for a creative vacation with your spouse…I have a retreat for you.

Read more . . .

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