Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

Five Marriages and a Brother Away from Vincent van Gogh

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We're related, if you squint really hard: You know those people who claim they’re vaguely related to someone famous? As in “My grandmother’s neighbor’s hairdresser once cut Brad Pitt’s hair when he was a boy!” Well, through Geni, I discovered my famous relative is Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh is my great uncle's (on my mother's side) first cousin's husband's second cousin's wife's first … [Read more...]

From Highclere to King Tut: The Story Behind Katherine Kirkpatrick’s historical novel

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From childhood travels abroad to standing awestruck before Tutankhamun’s golden mask at the Met, Katherine Kirkpatrick has long carried a fascination with history and Egypt’s mysteries. Shaped by both wonder and loss, she turned to writing early in life, a path that led to her new historical novel To Chase the Glowing Hours, fifteen years in the making. Welcome, Katherine! What: My new … [Read more...]

From Treadle to Kenmore: A Family Sewing Legacy That Outlasts JoAnn Fabrics

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Passing Down a Sewing Legacy: My grandmother Elsie taught me basics of hand sewing. My mother sewed clothes and doll dresses for me, and then taught me sewing on her Singer treadle machine. I still remember the pump of the metal foot pedal, the soft hum of the mechanics, and the smell of machine oil. When she upgraded to an electric sewing machine, I resisted because it didn’t feel the same, … [Read more...]

Autumn: a season of celebration and grief

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When Autumn Stopped Being So Beautiful: For Derek, 9/29/1979 - 10/26/2011 Fall unsettles me.The air cools with a hushthat's both fleeting and permanent.The moon reflects silenceand absence.My son was born in late September.I lost him in October.Two months hold celebrationand grief, memory and mourning together where I walk again through the joy of cradling my firstborn and the ache of … [Read more...]

Confronting social media, power, and love: Herta Feely’s fiction

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The dark side of social media: Herta Feely draws on her global perspective and keen interest in contemporary issues to shape her fiction. In her latest novel, Strange Shape of Love, she explores the perils of social media, sexual harassment, and human trafficking, while weaving in themes of love, identity, and resilience. Enjoy her What, Why, How! What: Longlisted in Uncharted Mag’s … [Read more...]