Hit The Road: Kerouac, Johnny Cash, Pink Floyd, and Bikes

Watch this video full-screen. Trust me.   WE WERE NEVER BORN from Dosnoventa on Vimeo.   I’m off to the wilderness of Oregon to do something that looks vaguely like this. I’ll be gone a few days, so enjoy yourselves, be kind to others, and remember to take a breath every now and then.

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Amira Vs Adulthood

When I was a child, I used to dream about being an adult. “Gosh,” I thought to myself, “I can’t wait until I’m tall enough to put these dishes away without climbing on the kitchen counter.” Or, “I can’t wait until I’m old enough to not listen to my parents when they tell me to…

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[Untitled]: A Poem

I wrote this poem spur of the moment, as a very dear friend of mine recounted the many ways he loves his fiance. I am so honored to be a part of their story, and to my readers, I cannot honestly recount how deeply their story made me feel, for there are no words to…

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And It Rained: A Poem

Slake my thirst, Dirty green of desert oaks, Grey like ash, You brittle clouds, Waiting to break. Tear in the sky, You will sing Against my psalms. I open My hands To you.     — Here in Paso Robles, it doesn’t rain a lot. But I was born and raised in a different part…

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Dear Society: Stop Telling Me To Have Kids

“You just haven’t met the right man yet.” “Your clock will start ticking one of these days!” “I know it seems like you don’t want kids now, but just give it time.” “You’re too pretty/smart/nice NOT to have kids.” “Trust me, you’ll want kids one day.” “You’re going to be such a great mom!” “Women who…

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Cultivating Your Writing Voice

At Jess West’s behest, I’ve written this article on what ‘voice’ is in writing, why it’s important, and how writers can cultivate it. Jess has written a post on the same subject, though we both tackled the issue from very different perspectives. Please check hers out as well. You can find it here. At its most…

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Between Two Mountains: A Poem

I never thought I’d be the silly writer Who would dare to utter the cliche ‘Your lips were the color of sky’. But here I am, And to say otherwise would be a lie. The sky tonight for perhaps a minute and a half Was the same color as the gunmetal chill Of your lips…

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Ode To The Summer Solstice: A Poem

Solstice, dearest, come and gone, I’ll wear you like a crown I’ll carve your name into the moon And let her blood drip down Solstice, dear, thy hours long Oh, daylight fades to grey You dance with me ’till longing’s gone And disappear come day. Like a lover, known but once You greet me in…

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Four Ways To Avoid The Trope Of The ‘Strong Female Character’

There’s been a lot of buzz lately about the role of women in literature and film from an article called “We’re Losing All Our Strong Female Characters To Trinity Syndrome”. Published last week by Tasha Robinson, the article primarily argues that screenwriters are providing cop-out “strong female characters” who appear at first glance to be…

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