When I decided I was leaving my husband, I sent you a letter stating I was quitting. Remember that? I was dumping everything connected with my old name. I was dumping The Rebel Newsletter. I was dumping my books. In grief I wanted to dump my entire life.

Six months later, I have walked that back in some ways. I went a little crazy that first month and wanted my old name dead, never to be mentioned again (ok I still want that, but…) but I am also proud of the work I have done for years as that person, that person under that name. At the time I sent that newsletter I didn’t want to leave the creative writing world, but I also didn’t know what to do with myself when my whole world felt like it imploded.

Over the last few months, I have been transient, trying to figure out how to pay for a complicated divorce with no money in my control. I have leaned hard on friends and family to help me see possibility now that I am on my own again after all these many years. I was inspired to return to the roots of myself. The creativity practice of writing that I fostered long before I took that last name.

I began to write letters with nowhere to send them and I began to see there was one place I longed to return to. The Rebel Newsletter was done, gone for good, but I was not done. I wrote about topics like:

• Does moving to a small town make you more creative
• How I don’t think it is a smart move for a writing conference to use AI to write their emails
• What makes a good divorce memoir
• Exploring how writers are using essay and short stories to get agents to come to them
• And that letter I wrote where I reference “fo shiz fo shiz Ginuwine” (IYKYK)

There had to be somewhere for these stories to go. I still had a lot of knowledge and experiences to share. I needed to find a home for them.

I have settled into the North Woods. I am reestablishing myself among you and the creative world. I am calling back the joys I have felt being a writer, educator, and creative mentor for over twenty years. It can take losing everything to really know what you want.

So here I am, returning with weekly letters about my own creative journey that I hope will also help inspire and educate your creative journey.

I hope I get to keep you in the divorce.

P.S. If this letter has found itself in your junk folder, please move it to your inbox. Or better yet, hit reply and let me know what creative project you've been working on these last few months. Is there any topic you would like me to write about? Are you curious about my divorce or new life? It's okay, really—you can ask.

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
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