Lori Duff Writes
Of all the things I’ve accomplished in my life, the one and only thing that anyone will care about is that I was on Jeopardy![1]. In my office, I have framed diplomas from prestigious universities, plaques proclaiming professional accomplishments, certificates certifying awards and accomplishments, and pictures of my actual greatest achievements of all – my…
The Silver Box by Margi Preus is the third in the Northwoods Mystery series for Middle Grade readers. Francesca Frye, known as Francie to her friends, is reminiscent of Nancy Drew. She is fiercely independent, smart, and resourceful. Like many children’s lit heroines, she has a bit of a tragic past. Her father died when…
It’s not like washing our hands is something we only figured out was a thing during this pandemic. We were always supposed to wash our hands regularly. After we went potty, for example, and before we handled food. I’m not saying I scrub like a surgeon every time, but I consider myself on the hygienic…
I am 50 years old and I have owned a grand total of four cars in my life. The first was a 1985 Oldsmobile Delta 88 with a hood the size of a regulation basketball court. It was basically two sofas on wheels. I bought it from my grandfather when I started law school and…
“Well we all have a face that we hide away forever. And we take them out and show ourselves when everyone has gone.” ~ Billy Joel “The Stranger” “What I am is what I am. Are you what you are or what?” ~ Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians “What I Am” We all have…
I probably ought to be more afraid of Big Brother, but the truth is that my life is a little too boring for me to get all worked up about who is looking at the details. I go to work, I go home, I go to networking events, and I occasionally go out to dinner…
My children tell me I’m rude, but they’ll forgive me because I’m old. I’m rude, they say because I insist on punctuation in texts. I agree I’m rude, but I think it’s for other reasons. These are the same children who will articulate their punctuation when they speak, as in, “Are we going out to…
Firefly is a small book of poems by Ellen Austin-Li that I assume is autobiographical, though it may be entirely fictional. The fact that I cannot tell is a testament to the skill of the author and the burning reality of the feelings in the poems. Though each of the poems stands on its own…
My Dad is just now winding up what he is calling his Farewell Tour. “Yeah, yeah.” said my son. “Cher had five of those.” He is making an up and down road trip of the east coast, visiting friends and relatives he hasn’t seen in years. When he gets home, he may never leave again. …
Departure, by Joseph Reid, the third book in the Seth Walker series, is a non-stop thrill ride. That sounds like a cliché, I know. I wracked my brains to come up with an original way to say “non-stop thrill ride” and came up short. What can I say? That’s what Departure is: a non-stop thrill…