Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

Family Recipe: a Finnish pancake with three ingredients

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But what's it called? My Finnish grandmother made an oven pancake that I loved, and now my grandkids enjoy it whenever they visit. My mom often made it for dinner, too, because who doesn't love breakfast for dinner? For years, I knew how to say it, but didn't know how to spell it. In my family, we called it KRUP-sue-AH, and I thought it was spelled krupse. I recently shared a picture on … [Read more...]

Words by the Waves: a Beach Access Trail StoryWalk®

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Robbie's Way on Ocracoke Island, NC Robbie’s Way is a 15-foot wide access from Silver Lake Drive to the shores of Pamlico Sound. The family of Robbie Runyon deeded the access to Ocracoke Preservation Society in 2000 in memory of her frequent walks to watch the sunset across the road from her island home. In 2021, Robbie’s Way added a StoryWalk®. The walkway now includes 17 wooden cases, … [Read more...]

Building Trust with a Narrator: How Long Does It Take to Connect with the Voice?

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Who is this person telling the story? And do I trust them? Any time I begin reading a new book there's a period of adjustment when I struggle to feel comfortable with the narrator's voice, and to trust that I'm in good hands. It's almost like making a new friend. You kind of wonder if and when you want to see them again. Occasionally I find myself caught in an internal fight not to put … [Read more...]

Generational Driving: Passing Down Skills and Memories

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Fears of parallel parking When our granddaughter came to stay with us in August, she was a little nervous about taking the driver's test for her license when she returned home. Michigan still required new drivers pass a parallel parking test. So we loaded up my Buick Acadia with makeshift cones made from pails and pool noodles and drove to an empty parking lot near us. I hoped my Arcadia’s … [Read more...]

What, Why, How: Poet Wendy Wisner

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What: I suppose I would characterize my poetry as lyric poetry. Some poems are quite narrative, and others are more experimental. My poems have a strong emotional center. Sound and image are important to me. How the poem looks on the page is also a major consideration, because for me, the form of the poem – its shape, the spaces between words and stanzas – is as important as elements like sound … [Read more...]