Unexpected Concert
Sometimes life in Morocco can be frustrating. If I need to fill out paperwork at the police station, send a package, or have the plumbing fixed, for instance. And sometimes it is just lovely. 8:45pm on a Tuesday. A lone trumpet echoes across the street outside. Soon a drum joins in. I wander over to the window, and there–in the street–is a full brass band. As they launch into a traditional wedding song, children gather around them and begin to dance. Neighbors lean out of their windows and stand in doorways. I spot one dancing...
read more ->Journey to Girona
After over a month of traveling in Spain, France, and England, I am shamefully behind in blogging my adventures, of which I have had many. Couchsurfing1 through Spain and France, I made new friends along the way and had some great experiences. I left Tangier by plane on June 23, with my faithful (and unbelievably patient) sidekick travel partner, Erin. Just after touching down in Girona,2 we were whisked away by our hosts, Miguel and Cristina, to a party in honor of St John’s Eve. I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to...
read more ->Creative Challenge: Picturing Prufrock
What’s that you say? The holiday season is in full swing and you need something stimulating to work on before you sink into a sick-of-cheesy-songs-in-the-supermarket, blinded-by-tacky-yard-decorations, chocolate-induced seasonal slump? Well then, it’s a good thing you’re reading my blog. Here’s your assignment: Choose an image from T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and illustrate it through art, audio, video, or any other creative medium. Paint a picture, put the words to music,...
read more ->Morocco, Weeks Seventeen Through Twenty-One
My last month was remarkably uneventful and, at times, crushingly boring. Work, work, and then–for good measure–some more work. The weather here has been gorgeous (sunny and warm nearly every day) but sometimes I go several days at a time without feeling the sun on my face for more than five minutes. I arrive at work just after sunrise, and often leave after dark. Go home, eat, fall asleep. Repeat. Haven’t written. Haven’t drawn. Haven’t picked up my mandolin. My camera has been sitting in a desk drawer for three...
read more ->Morocco, Week Nine
I’m sorry to say, dear readers, that week nine will be a bit of a letdown. One of the downsides of working so much is that by the time I get around to blogging, I’ve already forgotten everything I did the previous week. Most of my waking hours last week were spent at work, and most of the things I did there are wildly exciting to only a select few people. I supervised the creation of a middle school book club. Made a publication timeline for the student literary journal. Read more books to tiny children. Created a fabulous...
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Writer, illustrator, musician, rogue librarian, explorer, ill-fated baker.