This year I am celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the publication of my debut book the memoir Migrations of the Heart. I consider the publication of that book to be the official launching of my career as writer and teacher…
In many ways, this is my favorite time of year. Not because of Thanksgiving or Christmas although both of those holidays allow us to celebrate two powerfully positive impulses-giving thanks and giving to others. This is my favorite time of…
In my 1986 novel A Woman’s Place I wrote about a friendship between three young Black women who meet at an elite White College in the late 1960’s. Each of the three young women, Faith, Crystal, and Serena chooses a…
Two experiences recently got me thinking about the meaning of the phrase “a life well-lived.” The first was attending the Washington, D.C. premiere of the new musical about the life of Frederick Douglass, American Prophet: Frederick Douglass In His Own…
Dear [insert your name here], As I write this blog post in the last two weeks two 18-year-old males, one White and one Hispanic have killed 31 people in two “mass shootings.” We feel exhausted, horrified, and like everything in…
