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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]