A solitary, early morning walk on Brussels’ Grand’ Place
I was recently in Brussels for a conference. I haven’t been to Brussels for years, and was curious to return to its central Grand’ Place to see its whimsical architecture, but my work schedule and flights made that difficult. So I woke up early one morning, took a walk, and made the startling discovery-well, perhaps…
Read MoreWriting inspiration from Vladimir Nabokov
I’d click into anything with a title like that. : ) The Russian-American writer Vladimir Nabokov is one of my favorite writers, and sometimes I feel somewhat like a type of (accidental) groupie. I studied at Cornell, the university where he taught until he made his name with Lolita and happily gave up academia to write…
Read More5000-year-old modernity at the Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens
It was a rainy Monday morning in Athens on a recent visit there, and my family and I decided it would be a good time to dry off and explore a museum a Greek colleague had suggested to me – The Museum of Cycladic Art. The museum is located in the upscale residential neighborhood of…
Read MoreHow do you feel when you wrap up a writing project?
This week, I’m wrapping up a writing project I should have concluded long ago. This is a contemporary story I’ve loved writing about three very different expat women living in Rome, Italy. Their lives cross when they meet up at a 1950s movie night at an Italian seaside resort off-season. Although my contemporary characters are…
Read MoreThe splendors of Naples’ renovated San Carlo Opera
I’ve always been curious to see Naples’ Teatro San Carlo – the oldest continuously active public opera in the world. On a recent visit to Naples, I went on a guided tour to see the recent renovations that restored this historic opera house to its former splendor. San Carlo Opera was commissioned by the Bourbon…
Read MoreWriting inspiration in the mountains
Although I live in Rome, I love to escape when I can to the nearby mountains of Abruzzo. I have a small place in a little town up in the Apennine mountains, and I enjoy going out there to escape the chaos of Rome – to hike and mountain bike and ski. I was out…
Read MoreHighlights of medieval Albi, France
We truly enjoyed our visit to beautiful Albi last year. This medieval town, 77 kilometers northeast of Toulouse, is well worth a visit on your trip to southern France. There are two highlights to the town – the thirteenth century St. Cécile – the largest brick cathedral in the world. This imposing fortress was built to symbolize the…
Read MoreUnfinished work for #Readwomen2014. Join #Readwomen2015!
Those of you who may have followed my blog this year know what a big fan I am of #Readwomen2014. Although there are more talented women authors out there than ever, writing from every corner of the globe, it’s clear women writers aren’t getting the amount of attention they deserve. Traditional media tends to favor…
Read MoreMedieval Manhattan? The Cloisters
Living in Europe, when friends and colleagues ask me what to see on their visit to New York, I always get the odd look when I say to spend part of one day exploring ‘medieval Manhattan’. As Europeans know all too well, American history is remarkably short. But money can buy almost anything, as the…
Read MoreWhat are your 2015 writing goals?
Happy New Year! 2015 is already upon us, we’ve slept off all the food and champagne, and it seems a good time for those of us to love to write to set our writing goals/resolutions for the new year. Last year I posted my writing goals for 2014. I’ve – ahem! – somewhat achieved them.…
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