Greetings!


"My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent."

~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg

*****

My mother and grandmother believed in the same sentiments as Ruth Bader Ginsburg. They taught me that it was okay to be financially dependent on a man, but it was also very important to have my own life and career, and to be prepared for any eventualities. As many of us celebrate Mother's Day this month, I'd like to honor the wisdoms taught to us by the women who came before us, whether it was our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, or cousins. While my mother and grandmother shared philosophies probably secondary to their own childhoods and lives, there was a great deal of wisdom to be gleaned from them. Sometimes we just have to stop and reflect what those wisdoms are. If you have a moment, please read my essay, "Lessons Learned From My Grandmother," published in Vox Populi.

During the month of May, I am blessed to celebrate both my birthday and Mother's Day. I'm blessed to have a month of festivities. These days it's important to stop and celebrate when and whatever we can. Wishing all mothers and grandmothers a wonderful Mother's Day. Whether you're the mother or grandmother of a son, daughter, or pet, it's still a time to stop and celebrate and honor.
dianaraab.com


  • Write about an important woman in your life.
  • Write a poem about your first love.
  • Write about your earliest memory.
  • Write about your summer plans.
June 18-23, 2023
1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Santa Barbara Writers Conference
Santa Barbara, California
To register: click here 

*****

September 19 – 23, 2023
“Writing for Bliss : What’s Your Story?”
Miraval Resorts and Spas
Austin, Texas
“Honoring Pablo Neruda on National Poetry Month.” (article) Sixty and Me. April 14, 2023.

“My Father’s Obsessions.” (poem) Poetry Super Highway. April 17, 2023.

“Message to My Body” and “Kindred Spirits.” (poems) Musings Publications: Bloom & Blossom Issue. April 22, 2023. 

“Lessons Learned From My Grandmother.” (essay) Vox Populi. April 29, 2023.


"Wrapping up April as National Poetry Month: Why Poetry is So Important." (article). The Good Men Project. April 30, 2023.
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith (memoir)


Reading and writing biographies and memoirs have been in my wheelhouse since childhood. I have always adored reading real stories about real people, whether they're accomplishing amazing things or dealing with life's challenges. Connecting with stories of the human condition not only helps us cope with our own narrative, but they can help offer us perspective. When a wonderful poet like Maggie Smith writes a memoir, it's a sure deal that it will be compelling and poetic.

Smith still surprises. I read this memoir in one sitting. It was was a quick and powerful read reminding us that in life to we need to always expect the unexpected, because it will always arrive. Smith's life was chugging along as a writer, mother, and wife, when she unexpectedly learned that there was another woman in her husband's life. Everything that she knew to be normal began falling apart. Like many writers, writing became her savior and we are blessed and honored that she decided to share her story with us.

Throughout the book, Smith repeatedly writes, "A friend says every book begins with an unanswered question, then what is mine?" She supplies various answers during different stages of the aftermath of her separation from her husband. Smith penned many beautiful lines in this book, but this one particularly sums up something we can all relate to: "We are all nesting dolls, carrying the earlier iterations of ourselves inside. We carry the past inside us. We take ourselves—all of ourselves wherever we go" (p 22). She also talks about the process of writing a memoir as a ghost tour--we confront what is haunting us. Yes. So very true.

Thanks Maggie!
Highly recommended.
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