WRITING AND READING

I’ve been taking a break from marketing. However, “Family at Booknook” continues to be available at Nicolas Books and the local Meijer stores. I’ve been working on a second novel about an abused woman with three children who at great risk finds the courage to leave a sadistic husband.

I’ve discovered Dan Minock’s creative writing class at Washtenaw Community College. Many have taken the class before. And why not? Dan is a talented gentle soul who recognizes the best in all of us. As a man of humor and nature he has published a book, “Thistle and Other Essays.” The students are diverse; some write daily, others are new converts. A lovely Japanese woman is exploring poetry in English. Four or five writers read each evening and we critic them, focusing on what the piece means to each of us. An added perk: senior citizens can take one course at WCC tuition free.

A reading recommendation: “The Help” by Katheryn Stockett. Set in the 1960s, a naïve young woman in Mississippi interviews Negro maids about their experiences working for white families, riveting.