What a thrill it is to have my writing recognized by an institution as admirable and vital as the National Endowment for the Arts.

Over the last 40 years the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities have strengthened our democracy by supporting our nation's ideals, institutions and emerging talents,

This funding from the National Endowment for the Arts has been like the Good Housekeeping seal of approval.

I write while listening to music, mostly because the world beyond my headphones is too chaotic.

People are used to juggling multiple jobs and multiple responsibilities and multiple things on the home front, and sometimes you get a day off to read, and you just want a book that feels complete and that you can get through it on a rainy day on the couch.

I still have a tendency to sit back and wait out the bad things that try and take over my life.