Patricia Harrelson

There is a little town in northwest Oregon called Philomath. The word means lover of learning and is an apt description of the attitude I embraced on a recent trip to the Pacific Northwest with my friend Kathy. I already … Continue reading

About 15 years ago, I discovered the value of having a site where one could acknowledge and visit one’s ancestors. I was at a week-long Writing Conference in Iowa, and mid-week we were given the afternoon off to do as … Continue reading

Late last year, I found a list of movies that every writer should see in The Writer magazine. They were each about writers and their creative process and how their personal situations influenced their craft. Some were about real people … Continue reading

This week I’ve been focused on my writing work. The variety is great but as with everything, I bump into annoying parts of myself. Like the journalistic work I’m doing right now requires that I conduct a lot of phone … Continue reading

In 1990, I overheard a colleague at work refer to himself as a poet. It was one of those earthshaking moments for me. I knew this fellow well and I knew that he wrote poetry– good poetry– for fun. When … Continue reading

I found this cool blog that has a page called sentences. The introduction to the page is a weird comment on the 17 syllable American sentence that I didn’t really understand, but I love the sentences the blogger wrote. (The … Continue reading

As I mention in an earlier post, I have directed most of my pre-Christmas preparations to considering and planning my freelance business rather than shopping and baking. This past week, my mind has been overwhelmed with ideas I’m reading on … Continue reading

Yesterday, I spent a good deal of time organizing a slew of material that I’ve been collecting related to developing a freelance writing business. I want to earn money with my writing, and Cindy (the household bookkeeper) tells me it … Continue reading

In 1967 while in college, I spent a week babysitting for four kids. After putting the kids to bed the first night, I found a book on the couple’s bookshelf that I’d heard about, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. … Continue reading

In case you didn’t notice the word meter to the right, the clip art to the left says it all. I DID IT! In the words of Anne Lamott, I wrote a “shitty first draft.” Ta Da! Now, I’m going … Continue reading