The written word: a creative outlet

One of my most rewarding creative outlets is the written word. In the past three years, I've published three memoirs, thanks to the support of a very generous editor. And last year, I began composing a monthly column for the Vail Place newsletter. During that time, I also finished two children's stories and am working on a third.

In my first memoir -- BORN IN THE YEAR ZERO --I drew on the memories of my childhood in Germany, my adolescence in Cincinnati, Ohio, and my adult years in several U.S. cities and overseas. In it, I also honor my dad who sent me his own recollections of my childhood before he died. This was a great gift since I couldn't remember much of my early life.

In my second memoir -- RESURGENT -- for which I was awarded an arts grant, I describe the two-and-a-half years I spent in a residential treatment center for mentally ill. And SENIOR MOMENTS includes whimsical chapters on themes like Things I like to eat, Learning to speak French, and Games I like to play, as well as more serious topics such as Growing older, Mood indigo, and Close calls.

During this time I also wrote a children's story about a tiny mouse who was befriended by a seven-year-old girl and one about a grasshopper who teams up with a flea. Currently, I'm working on a third story about a turtle and a seagull which was inspired by a college girlfriend who loved seagulls.

I find it important to keep my pen moving. Since 1966, I've kept a personal journal, inspired in part by Anne Frank's diary, in which I can express my feelings, write down stories and poems, and record my dreams. And for the past forty years, I've also taken part in multiple writing groups that have helped unleash my creativity. These groups have been invaluable since, as a former English major, critiquing literature was emphasized over creative expression. Right now I'm participating in two such groups at Vail Place. In one of them, the two facilitators give us prompts to spark ideas. We not only share what we've written, but we've also performed our pieces at the St. Paul History Theater, at least until COVID hit. And the second group is facilitated by a best-selling author.

Even though growing up I was often plagued by writer's block, I'm now able to write more freely. I've also noticed that the very process of writing down my memoirs has helped me free up a lot of invaluable memories.