In an ordinary year, I probably would not even notice much of the hoopla around the Presidential Inauguration. But then – I have to admit that I spent most of yesterday watching the inauguration events. At the end of the day, I felt like I had taken a deep breath—and exhaled slowly—at last. After the … Continue reading Take a Deep Breath and Exhale
Author: laurisburns
Why Can I Not Focus?
Cognitive Load Theory I feel like this article in BBC by Dr Christian Jarrett explains a lot about what my mind has been doing recently. More importantly, it offers solutions. If you feel like you’re in a state of constant mental fatigue, you should read this. Cognitive Load Theory discusses the idea that tasks are … Continue reading Why Can I Not Focus?
Imperfections of the Human State
If you have ALS, or if you know someone who has ALS, or if you are in need of a major injection of inspiration or a renewal of faith in the human race, you need to read this. If you have ALS, or if you know someone who has ALS, or if you are in … Continue reading Imperfections of the Human State
I Am That 74-Year-Old Grandmother
Yesterday’s ‘Questionable Statements about the Corona Virus’ award goes to Florida’s Governor DeSantis who said this: "If you're a 22-year-old working in food services, let's say at a supermarket, you would have preference over a 74-year-old grandmother. I don't think that that is the direction that we want to go." DeSantis wants Florida to ignore … Continue reading I Am That 74-Year-Old Grandmother
The Small Stuff
Some mornings it's the small stuff in the news that makes me crazy. President Trump has achieved his goal of destroying another environmental standard created in the prior administration. In a world where 790 million people do not have access to clean water, it's nice to know that some people will be able to wash … Continue reading The Small Stuff
The Val Wood Prize
I've received notice that I am on the short-list for this year's prestigious Val Wood Prize for my short story, 'Mr. Miller.' I am over the hill with excitement. The submission call was for 'feel good' stories. Jess Federle, of my 'Lima' group, had told me about the contest, for which she thought Mr Miller … Continue reading The Val Wood Prize
You Don’t Have to Win
This Kurt Vonnegut quote just grabbed me this morning. I've felt so frustrated this past week. The overthrow of the government in Peru, the attacks on our democracy by a sitting president in the US. And I've been struggling with outlining the plot for my next book. My hero suffers from a need to do … Continue reading You Don’t Have to Win
Kaleidoscope Rocks the Literary World!
Dina Towbin wrote this great piece about the writers reading event in Lima this month. I got to read one of my short stories. It was fun!
Autumn Birthday
This is my entry for the Official Kidlit #FallWritingFrenzy! Writers choose a picture from 15 different images and write a 200-word story using the picture as inspiration. Autumn Birthday Autumn is for homecoming, she’d said on the phone. Driving up the highway, I thought the foliage that year was the most beautiful ever. But my heart … Continue reading Autumn Birthday
Bloody Sunday
It should feel like a sad morning when we lose two Medal of Freedom award recipients - two of the many great people who gave their blood to make our country more like the home I want it to be. Rep. John Robert Lewis and Rev. Cordy Tindell Vivian both walked across that bridge in … Continue reading Bloody Sunday
Writing Make Believe
In the midst of ever increasing cases of Covid-19, the ongoing crisis of a culture that can’t decide if the lives of certain segments of the society really matter, the debate over the relative importance of statues of dead confederates, 130,000+ lives lost to the virus, lives crushed out by boots firmly applied to the … Continue reading Writing Make Believe
Not in the Same Boat
I can’t get this thought out of my mind. I read it somewhere I think. We may all be on the same storm, but we’re not in the same boat. With so many critically important things going on in the world lately, it keeps coming back to me like the song that you hear and … Continue reading Not in the Same Boat
My World This Morning
There’s something particularly jarring about opening your computer in the morning and seeing a screen displaying what appears to be a man bound and tied with rope being thrown into a river while an angry crowd looks on. It’s made more jarring by the juxtaposition of this image with an ad for an “essential” nonstick … Continue reading My World This Morning
River Stories
There were snakes in that river. That’s why we were never to go there alone. I never saw a snake, but I knew they were there. Our mothers said so. We had just moved to our new town in June. We would have moved earlier but Mom said we had to wait for the end … Continue reading River Stories
Sitting Around on Porches
I think this story comes from the desire not just to become a front porch person, but also to become a "southern writer." That isn't to say that I would become a southerner. I still don't really like sweet iced tea. I think my New England memoir style comes from being a New Englander yearning to be a Southern writer.
Thoughts and Prayers
To all the politicians out there who are sending their thoughts and prayers in light of the latest mass slaughter of our nation's children, may I remind you that, while you may pray anytime you want in this country, as many of us are doing right now, we didn't send you to Washington to pray … Continue reading Thoughts and Prayers
