Now I know how Joan of Arc felt

I wrote an ode to The Smiths' Bigmouth Strikes Again ... from a mouse's perspective. Read it here.

This happened because I stumbled upon the Medium Writing Prompt, which is exactly what it sounds like: a weekly writing prompt for Medium users. And the prompt was I Fell in Love with a Song.

And I started thinking about how I've had wonderful, emotional, heartbreaking relationships with songs. And about how these songs inevitably leave me feeling small — either because they've unlocked a hiding place, or they've channeled a powerful, identifying feeling so acutely I feel powerless in its wake.

And then I started thinking about the time in the fourth grade when I tried to prove that my cat was a Bush fan. And about animals and music. And then I started thinking about Bigmouth Strikes Again (because I love it) and feeling small again (because I sometimes do). And then I wrote this. I hope you like it.

For some reason this upload has become corrupted, I have re-uploaded the video, please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpTKum8mIvk Live performance of Big Mouth Strikes Again by The Smiths on The Old Grey Whistle Test BBC UK

Dear Bridal Magazines: A Breakup

Last week, I paused in the middle of cleaning my apartment to pick up a previously discarded bridal magazine and flip through it in search of collage materials.

I thought about my changing relationship with the bridal magazines — which have appeared in my mailbox every month since my engagement two years ago — and realized that it resembled a romantic relationship gone sour. So I wrote a breakup letter.

I used Medium as my publishing tool, and submitted the essay to the Dear (Blank) collection, where it was accepted and published this week!

Although a bit self-indulgent, it was a really fun writing exercise that I'm happy to be able to share with so many people. I hope to do more of it!

Read the essay/letter here.

A Moveable Feast

For the SF Bay Guardian's Feast issue (on stands now), I wrote a story about my husband's and my spontaneous trip to Paris, and our discovery of natural wines while there.

UPDATE: Read it on Medium here, or at www.sfbg.com here.