by Nicole269 | Feb 11, 2016 | Mosaic Storytelling Showcase
Once upon a time, I drove to the inaugural Mosaic Storytelling Showcase in the rain, muttering my story under my breath. Over and over, I worked the transitions and cataloged the scenes. A week earlier, during tech rehearsal, there were only 16 advance tickets sold. I...
by Nicole269 | Jan 15, 2016 | StageLab24, Writing
“What is StageLab24?” It’s like this. 7:45 p.m. Arrived at The Village Theater at Cherry Hill in Canton, Michigan. 8:00 p.m. Sipping coffee, setting up camp, chatting with the other writers. I felt mellow. Actually, I felt like a cat with a canary. I...
by Nicole269 | Jan 7, 2016 | Column Throwback, StageLab24
This column first appeared in the Battle Creek Enquirer on January 19, 2014, after participating in TLC Productions’ first StageLab 24. I’m about to do it again this weekend. I’ve already started packing, power cord first. TLC Productions invited me...
by Nicole269 | Nov 13, 2015 | StageLab24, Writing
Ten-minute play festivals are popular all over the country. My work has been showcased in such festivals in Michigan, California and New York. They often take a full year to produce, longer if you count the writing involved. There are submissions and auditions and...
by Nicole269 | Oct 13, 2015 | A Teacher Named Faith, Writing
I am a public radio junkie, so today is a big thrill for me. Zinta Aistars will feature A Teacher Named Faith on Between the Lines. You can listen to our interview at 7:50, 11:50 or 4:20 on WMUK 102.1 or stream it over their website at http://wmuk.org/. Bonus thrill:...
by Nicole269 | Sep 30, 2015 | Musings
Fall has become a holiday, if that is possible to do to an entire season. As with most holidays, the retail shops and food chains start celebrating it three months early. Ever since the sparklers fizzled out on the Fourth of July, it has been nutmeg-laced drinks,...
by Nicole269 | Aug 28, 2015 | A Teacher Named Faith, Writing
Cairn Press released my novel, A Teacher Named Faith, on July 31, 2015. Battle Creek Books hosted the release event, which included a reading. The following is the introduction I prepared for that reading. Pictures provided by friends’ cellphones. Today, my first...
by Nicole269 | Aug 28, 2015 | #RestoringFaith
Wednesday was not a good day. Amongst other indignities, I sliced my thumb on a can of crushed tomatoes and was wearing a pressure bandage. Editing work rolled over into the evening. I tuned into the Tiger’s game over the Internet, while trying to type with my monster...
by Nicole269 | Jul 22, 2015 | A Teacher Named Faith, Writing
We had a private book party for A Teacher Named Faith on July 17, 2015. It was a chance to introduce the book to the world the way you would introduce a child to the world – friends, family, and coworkers first. You know, folks who would say your baby is cute before...
by Nicole269 | Jun 21, 2015 | #RestoringFaith
Proud to be human today. The emerald ash borer destroyed over 40 ash trees in our Leila Arboretum. Instead of cutting them down, the Arboretum held a wood carving competition. Chainsaw artists from all over the state and country came to compete, transforming these...
