I’ve been thinking a lot recently about Maya Angelou's often-circulated quote about courage being the most important virtue: "Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency." This quote's been coming to mind (again and again) as I find myself experiencing fear or saying "so much is scary." And so much is! There's so much injustice. What and who we care about are being attacked, fired, dismantled, criminalized, disappeared, hidden, abducted, ... Read more ...
learning
Q&A with Candace Epps-Robertson, Ph.D.: Introducing Full Circle Writing, LLC
Many of you know Candace Epps-Robertson, Ph.D., a collaborator with Heart-Head-Hands, facilitator of writing groups, and co-creator of pathways through burnout. Candace has previously shared her work through the Q&A blog post “On Seasons of Life, Writing, and Career.” In January, Candace made a career transition, leaving her faculty position and launching Full Circle Writing, LLC. So, this Q&A blog post shares her business launch and new offerings to support ... Read more ...
Why Don’t I Center “Academic” in My Work?
You probably notice that when I talk about writing support and spaces -- from coaching to writing groups to retreats and workshops -- I don't describe the work as "academic writing support" or name explicitly "academic writing." This is despite the fact that many, MANY of the writers I work with and many of my closest people are doing academic projects, hold affiliations with academic institutions, and of course, are trained in academic ways. Me too! Similarly, ... Read more ...
Writing Retreats Are for All Sorts of Writing
Writing retreats are for writers creating across genres, at any stage, and for various audiences, including ourselves. But so often, even when we spend our lives working with words, we bracket what counts as “writing,” and we find it hard to claim the role of “writer.” This blog post combines reflections from two of us, Beth and Phoenix, about the experience of one-day, online writing retreats. Together, we want to affirm that, truly: writing is expansive, and writing ... Read more ...
A Well of Capacity Comes from Community
Today I want to share as many hugs as possible and remember the well of capacity that comes from community. I feel such deep gratitude for people reaching out and connecting. I feel such deep longing to be in community ~ both locally (back in Asheville + Appalachia) and with beloved community (across space + time). I feel such deep grief over what seems to be the choice of an especially brutal route toward empire collapse. In the midst of these many feelings, I am ... Read more ...
Deep Gratitude Following Helene and Support for These Times
I write with deep gratitude for the outpouring of support that has buoyed me these past few weeks since Helene hit Southern Appalachia, resulting in catastrophic loss and continuing recovery for my new hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. I’ve felt such support, as many of you have reached out and even helped make connections toward a short-term housing situation. I am especially grateful for my Agnes Scott College network: for the next few weeks, I'll be in a familiar ... Read more ...
Writing Support for Your Campus? The Case of the UNT CLASS WRite Program
This fall, I am beginning the second year of a faculty writing and mentoring program with the University of North Texas (UNT)’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS). The program was proposed by Priscilla Ybarra, Ph.D. (Associate Professor, Department of English) and is sponsored by Steve Cobb, Ph.D. (Associate Dean, CLASS). I share a description of the program here to give a sense of what’s possible for tailored writing support: support customized to meet ... Read more ...
Q&A with Phoenix Robertson: Communications Assistant with Heart-Head-Hands
I am so pleased to introduce Phoenix Robertson, who has been working with me and the organization (Heart-Head-Hands: Everyday Living for Justice) since January 2024. Phoenix began as an intern and will be continuing to work as a communications assistant, as she enters college this fall. Since February, Phoenix has taken on various responsibilities, which she describes below. There have been steep learning curves, as working in WordPress can involve many steps ... Read more ...
Inspiration for Writers to Stretch W-I-D-E-R
The cover of my current journal features a bright, colorful tree surrounded by vibrant earth and sky. It gets me thinking about how wide our writing can reach, much like the sparks that seem to be flying off the tree and reaching underground, too. It reminds me that we need deep root systems and many shades of experience (not a singular existence). It inspires me to stretch w-i-d-e-r ... literally to scrawl in large letters and to run off the page. I am grateful for ... Read more ...
Mentoring Writers Well? 3 Assumptions about Mentoring Writing
What is involved in mentoring writers well? How can mentors support writers and writers’ various projects and aspirations? What are starting points for learning to mentor writing? So many of us (especially in higher education, literacy education, community education, and adjacent fields) are involved in mentoring and coaching writers. But, typically, we don’t have much training when it comes to mentoring. And much less for mentoring writing! Back in February, I ... Read more ...
