Ride, Sally, Ride.
I was sixteen. My ride was a 1977 Cream Yellow Ford Mustang II with a white vinyl top. It had the dubious distinction of being the worst year for the Mustang, and in my hands, it lived up to its legend, sitting in my driveway broken down more often than not. But, when it was functional, I felt indestructible. I had wanted a sporty car; my father kept bringing me to see Buicks and other heavy, big cars he felt I’d be safer driving. I kept showing him Camaro’s, Charger’s, and Monte Carlo’s. We were at an impasse until the ad for the Mustang appeared. I begged him. “It’s yellow!” Yellow was my favorite color. He agreed to go look at it. For me, it was love at first s

"That Was Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline on WGRP AM 940..."
I had a brief phone interview the other day that reminded me of my days in radio. Part of the job would include moderating and introducing guest speakers. Pressed further, I was told moderating would include feeding questions to the speaker sent via email during the lecture. I immediately saw myself as

Beekeeper
Playwrights Center of San Francisco presents a staged reading of my play: Beekeeper!Oleta, an apiarist's daughter, grew up believing she was special, but special is a double-edged sword. Haunted by a tragic childhood accident, and the mysterious death of her father, Francis, Oleta struggles to

Let the Writing Begin
RowanD and I are sitting in Panera. Two writers racing toward the 50,000 word count finish line. She's a veteran. I'm a newbie. This is an official NaNoWriMo write-in, a meet up of writers who crowd in to cafes, libraries, and other public places, put up our "Novelists at Work" fliers and, presumably, get to work. The write-in's are designed to inspire, to keep the pen/keys moving. Think of the peer pressure: the newbie surrounded by opened laptops, fingers typing vigorously, headphones on...I can't just sit here while others are creating the great American novel. So, on go my headphones, up goes my laptop lid, and, fingernails groomed for the occasion, the typing begins. Wish me luck.

National Novel Writing Month
In an hour and a half, the 2009 National Novel Writing Month will commence. I’ve signed up. This will be my first time with NaNoWriMo, and I’m excited to jump head first into a new writing challenge even if I have a full plate this month. Not only am I immersed in an