Blog

Last fall I visited Johnson Elementary School in Cedar Rapids to talk with some students about their experiences of bullying and do some writing about those experiences. We planned to send the writing to composer Rob Nassif who had been commissioned to write an opera about bullying. Well, he's done it. And a couple of … [Read more...] about Frankenboy — A Boy With Heart

Rich and I went walking this morning hoping to see eagles, which were easily viewable all last week. This week their favorite trees are...just trees, not trees with eagles sitting in them, just trees, branches and leaf buds. Still we persist-- and went to a different park this morning. We didn't see eagles but did see … [Read more...] about Sidekick Distance

The biggest "ramble" of my recent days was a trip to Chicago to attend the Associated Writing Programs conference last week and do a panel presentation with Phyllis Root, Franny Billingsley, and Christine Heppermann. We had a great time, thanks to a wonderful student from the Art Institute of Chicago, who--at the … [Read more...] about Ramblings

Writing is such a solitary act, most of the time, that’s it’s really worth celebrating when we find a writing community that is vibrant, thriving, and supportive of all its members. So this is a celebration. Get out the cava! First I want to celebrate our daughter Sarah Busse who, along with co-editor of Verse … [Read more...] about What Poetry Makes Happen

We are trying to keep a hibiscus plant from last summer alive inside our dry, not-very-bright house this winter. The plant has dropped a number of leaves but still has some green and yesterday when we passed it on the stair landing it offered this one gift--a huge bright bloom for these gray days of February. (I find … [Read more...] about Winter Gifts