Storyteller's journal
Reflections, investigative journeys, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into a life devoted to uncovering truth through words. Explore excerpts from my published works, craft notes on memoir writing, and stories captured from the edge of human experience.
The threshold of goodbye
I closed my eyes for a minute, and when I opened them I was floating at the top of the ceiling. I was floating with my mom. We held hands and looked down at her body on the bed. She was still. No life. The tube from the respirator was still taped to her mouth. I saw Gale slip mom's wedding ring off her finger. She kissed her and said goodbye.
"Oh mom," I whispered, "we're dead."
I was with mom. I must be dead. I died standing in the doorway. I looked down and saw myself still standing in the doorway, rubbing my arms. Mom was dead on the hospital bed. I looked to the hand I was holding while floating on the ceiling. There was no hand. My fingers slid through the air and I felt myself thud back into my body that was clinging to the door frame for strength. I whispered goodbye from the door.
Unearthing personal history
Investigative storytelling is as much about archaeology as it is about poetry. In my online writing consultations and memoir workshops, we dig into the sensitive layers of memory to reveal universal resonance. Capturing difficult moments demands unflinching honesty, meticulous detail, and the courage to inhabit scenes that transformed our world forever.
Whether shaping a standalone scene or structuring a complete book-length manuscript, my online coaching services guide writers to preserve their truths with emotional precision and narrative clarity.
From memory to the printed page
Each of my five published titles began as a lingering mystery or a moment that refused to fade. Writing brings order to grief, wonder, and human connection, translating spoken-word vitality into literature that endures.
Discover my full collection of books and discover how deep research coupled with personal memoir can illuminate the most shadowed corners of our shared experience.