Rocks & Roots
Donna Salli
In-Laws, Outlaws, and Iowans: On What Calls Our Names
When I began working on my novel, “A Notion of Pelicans,” I was a newlywed, my husband’s roots...
A Bit Blue: Family Stories as Inspiration
It’s June, again, month of weddings, of so much hope and joy. My own wedding anniversary is in...
An Ordinary Day in July: What John Milton Taught Me about Writing
I learned to read from a Dick and Jane reader. I remember the chalky smell of the classroom, the...
From Birds’ Eyes to a Bug’s Knees: On Writing and Introspection
Have you spent much time—figuring out how you figure things out? I have. I do it by writing,...
The Elephant in the Room (Or, The Tap Dancing Writer)
I have a confession. I don’t have a ten-second “elevator pitch” for my novel. When people ask me...
My Grandmother’s Hair: On Writing, Hauntings, and Love
What do you think about, when you think of your grandparents? When I think about mine, I remember...