SEPTEMBER SIREN by Deborah Elliott-Upton The morrow was a bright September morn; The earth was beautiful as if new born; There was that nameless splendor everywhere That wild exhileration in the air. — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow September is the ninth month, begins the last quarter of the year, and is a true end of carefree […]

WHO ARE YOU REALLY? by Deborah Elliott-Upton I arrived a bit late to the game of Facebook, but find it’s a lot like going into the “Cheers” bar: everyone knows your name, people seem happy to see you and you’re expected to say and do something while you’re there. One reason people enjoy Facebook more […]

HOURLY RATES? by Deborah Elliott-Upton Chegg rents books for 60 days, by the quarter or semester. When I stumbled upon this website, my interest was piqued. At first, I assumed these were text books only, but in a quick search I found that The Best American Mystery Stories of the Century could be rented for […]

HUNTING by Deborah Elliott-Upton I’m on a manhunt. Or maybe it’s a woman I’m hunting. I’m not sure yet. I’m not even sure if this is the protagonist or antagonist. Hero or heroine? Killer, thief or kidnapper? My Muse has been ready to play at the oddest times. While chopping tomatoes for tonight’s tacos or […]

EVERYDAY DRAMA by Deborah Elliott-Upton My father-in-law had a stroke Saturday morning. He’s 83 and had been digging a ditch for a gas line at his home the day before. The stroke happened the next morning when he was vacuuming. Obviously, this is not a man who is used to having things done for him. […]

TIME IS ALL WE HAVE by Deborah Elliott-Upton “Use your time.” – Jack London Recently I heard Michael Blake, author of Dances with Wolves, speak. He said, “Don’t stop writing through rejection or through distraction.” In truth, a writer’s life is often filled with distractions and rejections, even when he’s already been published. Blake said […]

EVERYBODY LOVES the OTHER RAYMOND, too by Deborah Elliott-Upton I have an affinity for Raymond Carver for a couple of reasons. Like me, he enjoyed Mickey Spillane novels and he cared about revitalizing the short story. I’m so pleased my friend, Kimberly Willis Holt, began a read-and-discuss group on Facebook based on Best American Short […]