Tag Archives: allentown

Iceland spar

Posted on April 13, 2018 by pinklightsabre

Friday, April 13 Allentown, PA Between me and the homeless guy the table remained open the whole time I sat at the Starbucks. I wrote and watched him from the corner of my eye stirring his coffee. Three regulars at … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir, parenting, prose, writing | Tagged aging, allentown, creative nonfiction, journal writing, Memoir, mid-life crisis, parenting, short form, stream-of-consciousness, William Pearse writer | 19 Comments

Sterling Hotel snapshot, 1992

Posted on December 15, 2016 by pinklightsabre

I sat at the end of the bar with the bartender Robbie watching It’s A Wonderful Life, his favorite movie. It was snowing outside and the bar was basically closed. He wasn’t supposed to, but Robbie only charged me for … Continue reading →

Posted in musings | Tagged allentown, creative nonfiction, humor, It's A Wonderful Life, Memoir, This Mortal Coil, William Burroughs, William Pearse writer | 18 Comments

The weird old man down by the lake

Posted on November 17, 2016 by pinklightsabre

First snow on the mountains, and they all look like postage stamps with the clouds, matted in lavender-blue. There’s a purple piece of foam I found on the trail someone dropped, for sitting on, and I take it with me … Continue reading →

Posted in musings, writing | Tagged allentown, creative nonfiction, Daytimers, humor, Memoir, postaday, prose, stream of conscious, William Pearse writer | 10 Comments

What I learned giving speeches when I was 12

Posted on August 4, 2016 by pinklightsabre

In last week’s Democratic National Convention comedian Sarah Silverman quoted her shrink, who said ‘we don’t get what we want, we get what we think we deserve.’ I don’t remember why I chose to compete in an oratorical contest when I … Continue reading →

Posted in inspiration, musings, writing | Tagged allentown, creative nonfiction, DNC, fear, Memoir, Mountaineering, Optimist Club, pacific northwest, positivity, Sarah Silverman, self-empowerment, theater, William Pearse writer | 23 Comments

‘You got a decent enough do in the Brazen Head for a bob’

Posted on December 9, 2015 by pinklightsabre

Running from our flat to the oldest bar in Ireland in the rain because you have to do that at least once in life, and it’s so close I make it there without losing my breath and find the same … Continue reading →

Posted in travel, writing | Tagged allentown, Brendan Behan, Chester Beatty, drinking, expats, humor, Irish independence, Irish writers, James Joyce, Patrick Pearse, Sterling Hotel, Temple Bar, the Brazen Head, travel, Ulysses, writing | 14 Comments

Trying to get lost in Belfast by foot

Posted on December 1, 2015 by pinklightsabre

Charlotte’s clothes (8) are mismatched the way they might be for the homeless, for function only, stained, holes, slanted — and I’m collecting plastic bags in my pockets for function too, to tie around my shoes as makeshift rubbers or … Continue reading →

Posted in travel, writing | Tagged allentown, Belfast, Billy Joel, Cadillac Kolstad, existentialism, expats, identity, little boxes, Memoir, Pete Seeger, Pink Floyd, suburbs, traveling with kids | 28 Comments

Working on leaving the living (2)

Posted on February 21, 2015 by pinklightsabre

As I’m nearing my 500th post, and re-entering the job market as a writer after a 20+ year detour, I’m sharing a few stories of working for small publications in the early 90s, on the east coast. Blog title HT … Continue reading →

Posted in writing | Tagged allentown, art, coming of age, creative nonfiction, journalism, making it as an artist, Memoir, writing | 17 Comments