Welcome to my blog about ”What Moves Me”
Writer, humanist, dog-mom,
horse servant, and cat-slave.
Lover of solitude
and the company of good friends.
New places, new ideas,
and old wisdom.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Behind the Magic Curtain
Four men who loved the city of Birmingham, Alabama asked me to write a book. I look back on that day when I met them in the high-rise office of a prominent attorney. They were all strangers, decades older. They … Continue reading
Defunding the Police
One of the confusing calls today is the one to “Defund the Police.” My thoughts on the subject are seasoned with a career in law enforcement, a master’s in social work, some research, and a couple of decades of contemplation. … Continue reading
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Watch Out for Falling Heroes
Heroes have toppled under the sledgehammer of truth. Continue reading
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Tagged ban books, books, confederate statues, Dr. Seuss, Ezra Pound, Gandhi, Gertrude Stein, Gone with the Wind, Heroes, Hitler, Huckleberry Finn, JK Rowling, John F. Kennedy, John Wayne, L. Frank Baum, Mark Twain, Martin Luther King, Nixon, Sean Connery, T.S. Elliot, Tom Sawyer, Wizard of Oz, writing
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Breaking the Code of Silence
In the beginning of my novel, House of Rose, my police officer heroine shoots a man in the back. I deliberately placed Rose in that situation, because it put her in trauma, and that is how character is built. I … Continue reading
The Wisteria Wars or Creativity in the Time of Covid
Most people assume, as a writer, that I’m eating up the hours a little virus has bequeathed to us by WRITING. They would be wrong. Yes, I am working on a novel, but it’s in the editing stage. That means … Continue reading
The Woman Who Danced Down the Grocery Aisle
The woman—dark hair with hints of auburn, the back scooped up in an invisible comb—dances down the aisle of the grocery store between the boxes of cereals and the baking goods. Pushing her cart, she sways to the store’s muzak, … Continue reading
Of Mice and A Girl
“A mouse propelled me into crime.” Continue reading
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The Collapse of Compassion
In police work, tragedy was a daily affair. I learned how to erect a professional wall between my personal emotions and what I encountered—abuse, rape, murder. Without those walls, I couldn’t have functioned effectively. I couldn’t take every abused child … Continue reading
Your Brain on Words
Human beings were not designed to read. When you think about it, the act of reading is an astonishing accomplishment. It’s a complex mix that involves: • Recognizing symbols • Relating them to sounds and spoken language • Extracting meaning … Continue reading
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Women: Not So Mere
Who knew? The women’s movement to win the vote in the United States (which didn’t happen until 1920) began with book clubs! In my life, “feminism” has been a word often expressed with a sneer, the struggle for equality seen … Continue reading
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Tagged bookclubs, books, feminism, League of Women Voters, strong women, suffrage, women, Women' rights, writing
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