“Home” is a word full of meaning, meaning that changes from person to person. When I hear the word home, I think of Racine, where I now live and grew up. But beyond that, I see my current house, as well as the houses I lived in as a child. I think of the places…

Racine is full of families that carry names that carry reputations and stories, generations and legacies. If you have one of these generations-deep Racine names, you probably find it hard to move through the community without being asked if you’re related to so-and-so or told a story about a relative, whether you know them or…

On a day like Easter, I’m surrounded by family. Holidays are a priority for my family. We all gather, every year, every holiday. There’s a sweetness to it: Seeing everyone in the same spaces year after year, eating the same shared dishes year after year. It’s a time to catch up, and it’s where our…

When I’m traveling somewhere new, or simply visiting somewhere else, I like to bring along literature reflective of the place. It was recommended to me once by a professor as a way to broaden my understanding of a place, as well as its community and history, in a way I may not otherwise access. While…

It’s hard for me to imagine Racine without imagining my younger self, and I think that’s true for a lot of people who call Racine home. Part of the draw of the place is what the place holds: our own memories, family legacies, former relationships, the shops and restaurants that we once visited. It’s a…

There may be no other place in my life where I’m in observation mode more than in my own neighborhood. Despite its familiarity, I find its rhythms and the people that make up the neighborhood and the things that happen in our neighborhood fascinating. There’s no other place in Racine County that I spend more…

There is something about a good place that makes where you live feel even more like home. I’m talking about the places outside of your home that you find yourself in and still feel “at home.” Maybe these places are good because they’re comfortable, they’re aesthetic. Or maybe these spots are good because of the…

Tonight, seeds that will be planted in our garden are spread across the coffee table. Cilantro, bell peppers, summer squash, basil, carrots are just the ones I can see. It’s planning season: time to consider our land and dream for the future, even though it feels like just yesterday we were collecting our community garden…

I’ve been thinking a lot about haiku poems lately. I find them delightful to read. They’re often incredibly specific while leaving plenty of room for the reader’s mind to fill in the blanks. I like that they’re short. I like that the form seems to shirk formality, even when playing by the rules. They’re familiar…

I’m taking this morning to share a few “works in progress” generated from prompts I’ve shared recently. My hope is that these prompts are just as generative for me as they might be for anyone else. The hardest part, of course, is actually sitting down to write. That’s what I tried to do this past…