At an early age, Edvard Grieg (Norwegian, June 15, 1843-September 4, 1907) showed a strong interest in playing the piano. He spent hours sitting at the piano, picking out melodies and making up his own songs. While his father groomed Edvard’s brother John to take over the family mercantile…

In my day-to-day life, my enthusiasm for writing occasionally wanes. I need a pep talk to help me keep working. When I had a regular critique group, our weekly sessions served that purpose well. But for a number of reasons, I don’t have one now, and I have to look…

Do you like to listen to music while you’re writing? I do. While I write, I prefer music that has a mysterious mood, usually instrumental, or with vocals whose lyrics do not demand that I listen to the words. (Don’t distract me with compelling words when I’m trying to come…

When I was a little girl, we all looked forward to second grade, because starting in January, we would begin the rite of passage known as “writing in cursive,” those elegant, flowing, sophisticated letters that we couldn’t yet even interpret. I attended a Catholic elementary school in the 1960s, and…

I know it’s around here someplace. . . Hi there! Reader Tiffany Arp-Daleo is a multi-media artist, and in reply to my post of last week, “ Ask Me Anything,” she wrote, “I’m always looking for organizing ideas, especially in my studio. I have so many supplies for so many…

In response to my article “ Ask Me Anything “ last week, my friend Heidi made this request: “I have to come up with a ‘talent’ for an upcoming family reunion. I want to involve everyone, including kids. One idea I thought of was to do some echoing chants. I…