I've always loved words. I began collecting words as a child: night words, flight words, colors, textures, water words, even contractions. My favorite place was the school library, where I read everything on Greek mythology. My favorite book was (and still is) the dictionary.
I write about topics I want other people to know about. When I found out that Emily Dickinson had a playful relationship with the children in her life, I wrote a middle grade verse novel about her inviting them to meet her at midnight to watch the circus train arrive in town. When I discovered that there was a time on Earth when women and girls were considered sacred, I wrote a book about goddesses from many cultures so girls would know about the powers that have been attributed to female deities from prehistoric times till now.
I live in the woods of western Massachusetts where hawks soar and owls glide and the sunlight dapples the forest floor. I'm still fascinated by Greek mythology. My latest projects have taught me even more about Greek goddesses, Emily Dickinson, and African elephants. When I'm not writing, I lead writing workshops for children and adults and edit the work of other authors. I'm also a tour guide at the Emily Dickinson Museum.
Books
Miss Emily
The Lady of
Ten Thousand Names
Goddess Stories
Gfrom Many Cultures
Goddesses
A World of Myth and Magic
Her Words
An Anthology of Poetry
about the Great Goddess
AN
Grandmothers' Stories
Wise Woman Tales
from Many Cultures
Return of the Great Goddess
An Anthology of Images
and Words about the Great Goddess
e
Writing Workshops
Writing with Miss Emily
Summer Zoom Workshop for Young Authors
Ages 9 - 12
July 19, 21, 23. 10 - 11am
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Emily Dickinson's poetry and letters
will inspire your own creativity
whether you write poetry or prose.
Pre-registration required.
Sponsored by the Jones Library
Stories Matter Writing Workshop
Poetry, Prose, Memoir, Nonfiction
Nourish your creativity
in a circle of women writers
Wednesdays 10 - 1
NOW on Zoom
Resuming in person in September
Pre-registration required
Editorial Services
After thirty years of professional experience - editing, writing, and publishing, I still love working with words. I began as a technical editor in the science industry and branched off into working with creative manuscripts, dissertations, memoirs, and art books. I created my own small press in 1993 to publish a fine art-appointed engagement calendar, Return of the Goddess that I distributed internationally prior to licensing it to a larger publisher. From conception of the idea to design, I oversaw image acquisition, permissions editing, proofreading, sales and marketing.
Developmental Editing
If you're looking for someone to take your manuscript to a professional level so it's ready for submission to publishers, I can help you organize your text and and enhance the development of your ideas and concepts so your work invites the reader to want to read more. Or if you are beginning a project and want coaching on how to develop plot, character development or the best way to unfold your ideas, I will guide you through those steps.
Copy Editing
Grammatical accuracy and consistency is crucial for professional submission. An objective, professional eye polishes your manuscript so that it commands the attention it deserves.
Fees
Each project is unique. After reviewing 10 pages of your work, we will discuss the scope of the project so you can have a sense of what services I can provide. Developmental editing $50/ hour. Strictly proofreading $40/ hour.
Please use this form to contact me.
Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886) is one of the world's most revered poets. She wrote in a new and revolutionary style, describing emotions in a way that is still fresh and astonishing. She was an original thinker who had the courage to write and live in ways that were meaningful for her. She wrote almost 1,800 poems (over 300 in one year) and thousands of letters.
I became interested in Dickinson when I wanted to teach my kindergarten class about her work and life. I toured the museum to see if it would make an appropriate field trip for five year olds. The more I heard that day, the more I wanted to know. And so it goes. I became a guide at the museum as soon as I retired from classroom teaching and designed a summer writing camp for young authors ages 8 - 12, focusing on Dickinson's life and work as we write in both houses at the museum. My middle grade verse novel, Miss Emily, is about the playful friendship that Dickinson enjoyed with the children in her life. Clearly, she knew that children are the true poets.
All writers have muses. Dickinson has clearly become one of mine.