Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

It’s Not the Same Old Vacation Spot

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Since 1985, when our youngest child was a baby, our family has vacationed on the beaches of Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. "Doesn't that get boring?" a friend asked. "Why stay at the same place year after year?" Maybe my friend thinks: You've been there once, so you've seen it all. Check it off your list and move on to another destination. I … [Read more...]

Public Accidents and the Walk of Shame

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  At the Detroit Opera House, David Sedaris told a story about the "walk of shame" involving an elderly man who shat himself in an airplane. Apparently everyone within proximity heard the man's daughter express her outrage; David was seated a few rows behind them. He cringed. The old guy shuffled off to the bathroom never to return his seat, despite the airline attendants attempts to lure … [Read more...]

Mittens from Sweaters

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Years ago when I was going through my late son's clothes, I came across a thick, wool Abercrombie and Fitch sweater that his sister loved to borrow. I was never a fan of scratchy wool, but she had loved it. It looked as if it had been washed and had shrunk. What do do with it now? I'd seen pictures of mittens made from sweaters, and figured it couldn't be that hard. Of course, this was … [Read more...]

English Language Groaners

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In Memory of a Cornball My late father was great at telling corny jokes. And yes, I groaned, but I often laughed too, just because he was laughing so hard. Lousy jokes and laughter can be infectious like that. I miss hearing him now. I'm sure he'd get a big laugh out of these groaners. I hope you do too. 1. The meaning of opaque is unclear. 2. I wasn’t going to get a brain transplant … [Read more...]

What, Why, How: Aaron Hamburger on writing characters that readers will love

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What: I write literary fiction and non-fiction. All of my books have been fiction (two novels and a story collection), but I’ve written a great deal of creative non-fiction, especially memoir essays, and my dream is to someday write a full book of creative non-fiction. In both formats, I tend to draw material from life, but in fiction, I repurpose details, shuffle things up, and embellish them … [Read more...]