Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

Frustration, or Lost in Translation

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When imagination is bigger than the child It’s important to teach children that when you reach a dead end, it’s okay to set the project aside. Sometimes the solution comes when you’re not even looking for it. Dead ends aren’t failures—they are pauses. Step back, breathe, return later. The process matters more than instant answers. The other day, my seven-year old granddaughter and I … [Read more...]

No Need to Say I Love You – My Father

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An endless source of amusement: He always had a joke to tell, a funny story, or did something to make me laugh. He could take the two parts of whatever it was that I was crying over and make them whole again. He could fix anything from the tiny earring post to a motor. He taught me the value of epoxy glue and needle nose pliers. He taught me to tinker with things until they worked. He also … [Read more...]

Necking in the Willow Theater: First Kiss

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Fiction draws from real life The small town of Nopiming in In the Context of Love is loosely modeled after my hometown, Independence, Ohio. Characters Angelica and Joe's first date are to the Maple Theater, based on my hometown theater, The Willow. Their first kiss is in the parking lot after their date. Independence was proud of The Willow Theater. It was built in 1950 in Art Deco style with one … [Read more...]

Book Art: Crafting Paper Roses

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This fabulous table centerpiece from the wedding reception of an English teacher bride and her book-loving groom was made from a stack of books tied with a ribbon and topped with a hand-crafted paper rose. Creating paper roses from book pages is a surprisingly easy art project, even if you don't consider yourself particularly artsy. It's a fun and creative craft project for kids too. My … [Read more...]

Rod McKuen Altered Book

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King of Kitsch? Former US Poet Laureate said it was irrelevant to even speak of Rod McKuen as a poet. Pulitzer Prize-winning critic called McKuen's work gooey schmaltz. Newsweek magazine called him the King of Kitsch. In Arts and Entertainment Fads, Frank W. Hoffmann called McKuen's poetry "verse that drawled in country cadences from one shapeless line to the … [Read more...]