Our friendly felines got some new toys this week. You would think that would mean they allow humans more time to write because they’ve got more things to do, but they’re also now insisting that the treat filled ball actually remain filled with treats. Also, some of the toys have bells. They’ll settle down soon…Continue reading “Caturday Questions”
Category Archives: Erika
Watch/Listen/Read
Erika writes: I feel like I blinked and missed out on this whole week. Or perhaps I just haven’t gotten nearly as much done as I’d like to. Whatever it is, I’m making inroads in my battle with the writer’s block I’ve been writing about for the last two weeks. I’m not convinced it’s overContinue reading “Watch/Listen/Read”
Writer’s Block: Bad Days are Easier
By Erika Grumet I’ve been staring at blank pages for days, deadlines lurking right around the corner on my calendar… wandering between in a funk because I can’t think of what to write about and Kermit-arm-flailing panic that the words are never going to come back. I don’t exactly think of it as “writer’s block”Continue reading “Writer’s Block: Bad Days are Easier”
Curious Caturday
Big Cat and Little Cat have both been trying to help me out today–the bad weather has left me very sore. I appreciate their effort. They’re definitely trying to help out…. And speaking of helpful things…our Caturday question is about tools. I found myself expressing serious appreciation for my thesaurus this week and also theContinue reading “Curious Caturday”
Watch/Listen/Read
Erika writes: I’ve had an interesting week battling something like writer’s block and keeping an impending migraine at bay. Hints of the writer’s block accompanied the candy fumes of last week, but I wasn’t prepared for how awful it would make me feel when it actually arrived! Hours of staring at blank screens, often withContinue reading “Watch/Listen/Read”
A Few of Our Favorite Things: LGBTQ+
After a year of podcasting and six months of writing and editing essays for this website, Adam and Erika are leaving the Ivory Tower Boiler Room at the end of November. We’re sad to go, but also eager for whatever comes next. This is not the end of our adventure in writing, of course. YouContinue reading “A Few of Our Favorite Things: LGBTQ+”
Real Isn’t How You Were Made, It’s Something That Happens to You
The other night, while I was trying to get some writing done, and really struggling, and had gone through all of my usual techniques for getting my head into the right place, I took a break, and stuck this little note to my keyboard. I’ve talked a lot about not being a “real writer.” I’veContinue reading “Real Isn’t How You Were Made, It’s Something That Happens to You”
Caturday Questions
Even Big Cat and Little Cat want treats for Halloween. Fortunately they leave mine alone, unless you count the times that they have tried sitting on the chocolates I’ve placed next to me, melting them and sometimes getting bits of chocolate on their fur. And what would Caturday be without a question? Leave your answerContinue reading “Caturday Questions”
I’m Queer. Please Pass the Peas?
By Erika Grumet A few weeks ago, a thirteen year old I know showed up at my house wearing a t-shirt that read:“Bisexual Trash Panda.” Even before I was a parent, I knew adolescent sexuality pretty well–years of teaching about HIV and STIs, contraception and LGBTQ101 gave me a lens into that topic longContinue reading “I’m Queer. Please Pass the Peas?”
Caturday Questions
Another Caturday, another Big Cat, Little Cat. As I write this, Big Cat has decided to take up as much room as he possibly can next to me and rest his paw on my computer. He has opinions about what I write. He did, however provide a lot of emotional support when I wrote TheContinue reading “Caturday Questions”