Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

What, Why, How: Dan Alatorre

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What: What do I do? Good question. My wife wants to know, too. She sees me at the computer for hours and hours, but it takes a long time for a book to be produced, so she’s certain I’ve got an online gambling addiction or I’m playing Words With Friends or something. But what I do is make people laugh. Or cry. Sometimes on the same page. Or I make them see things they thought they knew, but … [Read more...]

My Last Christmas with Mom

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My fondest Christmas memory In September, 2012, my brother and I helped move my mother, age 91, to her own apartment in a retirement home in Rochester, just five minutes from me. A month or so later, she suffered compression fractures in her spine. COPD and a heart condition then took a toll. Before we knew it, Thelma had a pacemaker, was wheelchair bound and on oxygen. Still of sound mind, … [Read more...]

Ladybugs, children and understanding death

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It's hard to believe it's been nearly six years since my son Derek died. Sometimes reminders fly at you from the most unlikely places. One such time was at a recent Poetry at the Farmhouse series. When pet bugs die: At the Farmhouse, poet Robert Fanning explained his son, at four, didn't fully grasp the passing of his aunt until his ladybug friend died. The poem about that … [Read more...]

Handsewn Treasures

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Mom was a saver Thelma was sentimental. She'd saved so many of my favorite toys, books, artwork, cards, and dolls... even a confirmation dress and two prom gowns, in her basement and bedroom closets. When she passed away in 2013, I brought the boxes back to my house and tucked them away in a closet, intending to go through them later. Recently I pulled out … [Read more...]

How I used Hungarian cursing in my first novel

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You never know where research will take you: My friend and fellow poet Olga Klekner taught me about Hungarian cursing when I was writing In the Context of Love. As the Hungarian heartthrob Joe tells young Angelica about his immigrant father, “Hungarians curse better than anyone else. No one bothers sending anyone to hell. That’s too gentle. They say, 'May God’s horse put his dick up your ass.' … [Read more...]