When my children were little, I (and others) read to them every day. When Hannah—four years older than Mary, seven years older than Rebecca—learned to read, she read to us. Being sick in bed with a nasty ear infection or strep throat when you’re a kid stinks, but if your big sister is Hannah Fons, … Read more
No one would deny I know a thing or two about quilts. Having learned to read before I started Kindergarten, I know a thing or two about literature as well. I went on to major in English in college, and earned a master’s degree when I was around thirty years old. That I could exist … Read more
The Quilt Show (TQS), hosted by my pals Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims, is offering a special treat this Sunday, December 13—a chance to enjoy an array of excerpts from the program’s past thirteen years of “Legend” interviews. (Because of the pandemic, they weren’t able to travel to a location to profile a special person … Read more
Launched by PBS in 2018, The Great American Read was an eight-part television series that invited viewers to choose American’s favorite novel from a list of one hundred candidates. (The list was created through a survey of over 7000 people.) As an English major with a master’s degree in literature and someone who loves lists, … Read more
Last year, I mentioned in a post that my (unpublished) short story (“My Ashes at The Met”)* had been adapted into a feature film by Jack C. Newell. In the now completed movie, titled MONUMENTS, a bereaved young man (Ted) stops at nothing to honor what he thinks are his recently-deceased wife’s (Laura’s) wishes. This … Read more
A simple drawing of students in a classroom—all but one seated, all but two with hands raised—illustrates the cover of Liza Wiemer’s novel, THE ASSIGNMENT. The title is stamped in bold red caps, the author’s name in smaller white type at the bottom. An additional line of copy, a question, is printed at the top: … Read more
On September 6, I shared info about Quilters Take A Moment, the Quilt Alliance’s pandemic-related retooling of the every-other-year event that usually takes place in New York City. Like so many happenings we love, QTM couldn’t be the hug-filled gathering it usually is, and I urged all my readers to check out the wonderful lineup for … Read more
Every other year, the Quilt Alliance (of which I am a proud member) hosts a fantastic fundraising event called Quilters Take Manhattan. I love attending, partly because it’s such a fun gathering, and partly because I love spending time in New York City, where my oldest, Hannah Fons, lives. Because tickets always sell fast, I … Read more
If you read my posts regularly you know I love books and writing as much as I love making quilts. You probably also know I live in two places—Winterset, Iowa, most of the time, and Washington Island, Wisconsin, from time to time. The annual Washington Island Literary Festival (WILF) is a celebration of books and … Read more
One thing we humans have going for us is our ability to adapt. As weird as it feels (and looks) to cover my face with a cloth mask when I am in public spaces, I do it because reliable sources say masks reduce my chances of getting infected. As much as I miss hugging friends … Read more