This Valentine’s Day, let’s come together and share some of the protests and prayers we are writing for these times. We’re in times when what we love—people, the earth, and justice itself—are attacked with great force. The first weeks of the new administration have brought intense cruelty and terrorizing assertions of dominance. We respond in many ways, including with efforts to block harm, to build liberatory futures, and to be present with and for each ... Read more ...
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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 ...
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 ...
Love Notes from Journal Pages
So much of my writing over the past year has been personal journaling. I have pages of scrawled notes and lots of therapeutic reflections. It’s the sort of writing that rarely sees the light of day. It’s also the writing in which insights pop up and out of the mess. Recently, I’ve been re-reading my journal pages and noticing how often I write love notes to myself, underlining what I want and need to hear. It’s occurred to me that these notes offer messages that many ... Read more ...
Highlighting a New Publication: Chapter and Supplementary Material in Best of Journals in Rhetoric and Composition 2021
I am writing to share a new publication: a chapter in Best of Journals in Rhetoric and Composition 2021, edited by Kristi Girdharry, Charles Lesh, Jessica Pauszek, David Blakesley, and Steve Parks and published with Parlor Press (2023). This chapter includes both a reprint of my previous article “Rhetorical and Pedagogical Interventions for Countering Microaggressions” co-authored with Rasha Diab and with contributions by Cedric Burrows and Thomas Ferrel. It also ... Read more ...
Q&A with Candace Epps-Robertson: On Seasons of Life, Writing, and Career
This interview introduces Candace Epps-Robertson, Ph.D., a collaborator with Heart-Head-Hands, facilitator of writing groups, and co-creator of the new offering, “Pathways Through Burnout: A Cohort Experience.” Candace is a writer, researcher, and educator with deep commitments to justice and more than twenty years of experience in literacy education. She is also Associate Professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she ... Read more ...
Interrupting Writer’s Block: Writing (and Pausing) Through Resistance
This blog post responds to a question I received recently and offers some ways to interrupt writing resistance or writer’s block. My hope is that it offers support for writers (because we all face resistance, right?), while also providing a glimpse into one-with-one coaching. I offer this post with gratitude for the writer who shared permission to use the question and response. And I offer many good wishes to writers feeling the pressure of due dates. The Question: ... Read more ...
New Year Reflections: Hanging by a Thread Is Better Than No Thread at All
In these weeks leading up to the new year—during the holidays and covid surge—I’ve found myself saying, “I’m hanging by a thread.” And friends have reminded me that one thread is better than no threads at all. It’s true. I’ve witnessed spiders suspended in air by a single thread. I’ve seen them descend to the ground gracefully with that same thread and use it as a first step to rebuilding webs. (Spiders teach me a lot!) As we welcome the new year, I’m reminding myself ... Read more ...
What Is Contemplative Writing? A Definition and Guided Meditation for Writers
What is contemplative writing?What is not contemplative writing?And why do I want to prioritize contemplative writing in my life? While teaching the “Contemplative Writing” workshop series this October, the importance of definitions has become increasingly clear. “Contemplative writing” invokes a range of interpretations, so this blog post defines the term and shares questions for exploring your relationship with writing. From there, I offer a guided meditation for ... Read more ...
Planning Writing Projects: Workshop Handouts and Resources
Welcome to this page of handouts and resources for the upcoming workshop: “Planning Writing Projects.” This workshop is offered through the Fayetteville Public Library and sponsored by the Brown Chair in English Literacy at the University of Arkansas. Much gratitude to Professor Eric Darnell Pritchard (the Brown Chair) for initiating and sponsoring this collaboration! I'm really looking forward to this virtual, public workshop coming up on Thursday, July 29th. I’m sure ... Read more ...
