I love hanging out on 6th street. Even though I am a Kenosha girl, born and raised, I have found a second home on 6th street in downtown Racine. First there are my beloved Over Our Head Players. This group and the crazy kind, ever expanding group of folks who work there came to me…
What’s Your Story?
What is your defining moment? What one event in your life represents all of your triumphs and struggles? What part of your story is the most important? If you are a regular human like the rest of us, this is not easy. Our lives are made up of interconnected moments; joys and sorrows that comprise…
Techno-gaga
So many folks say that our interest in our phones to the exclusion of human interaction, and our time-consuming ego-driven social media frenzy along with the isolation that comes from feeling that while we are surrounded by information, we are bereft of genuine communication. And to those folks I say, “Cut back on your caffeine…
Writer Chick
One unexpected but very welcome part of the Writer-In-Residence gig has been the joy of meeting other artists. Starting with the Racine Arts Council Board and staff through the former WIRs, it has been a real pleasure to be able to put faces to the names I had read about and to add new faces,…
Obits For Beginners
Hi folks, It’s been a busy week in WriterLand! Set the dates of my first workshops as Writer-In-Residence about writing obituaries. For those of you not familiar with me, I am a licensed funeral director with over 15 years experience at helping families navigate the plethora of emotional foxholes that present themselves when someone dies….
Comedy/Tragedy
It was the best of times, it was the worst…. Wait that sounds familiar! Sometimes we writers read so much that we forget what we haven’t written ourselves. With apologies to Mr. Dickens, that turn of phrase does describe my point of view though. Each of us has a story as unique as a snowflake,…
New Writer in da House!
Hi folks, my name is Patti Fitchett and I am the newest Writer-In-Residence hired by the Racine Arts Council. Full disclosure: I am a Kenosha girl. For those of you still reading, (the Racine-Kenosha rivalry is deep with some people!) I am thrilled to continue to be a part of the arts scene in downtown…
Why Say Good-Bye When You Can Say Hello?
Everyone has things they’re good at, and well, not so good at. Right? Myself included. I’m not the best at taking criticism. I’m terrible at ignoring messes. And I totally stink at things like change, baking, and good-byes. Ugh. I confess I’ve been putting off writing this post–or even thinking about it–for a few days…
Where Would a B- Effort Bring You?
I was offered the same gift twice. I know that sounds a bit strange. Like there was some lame-o out there who gave me a pair of my own used socks or something. But that’s not the case. This gift was one that–while it was given to me twice–I could only accept once. The first…
Rules of the Open Page
Did you ever notice how many rules–and exceptions to those rules–are involved in written English? I can’t speak for other languages since I haven’t written in them since my tenth grade French class where Je voudrais manger! was often my ending journal note before the final bell. The class, being the last before lunch, would…
ArtRoot Writer-In-Residence 