Chronicles

I’ve written “chronicles” and articles that explore our inner lives since I was in high school.

Over the years as a children’s author and clinical social worker, I began to focus on the inner lives of creative writers

and the emotional resilience that is foundational to our journeys.

I would love to hear from you about your own journey and about topics of interest for my ongoing columns and blog posts.

"Interview at Literary Rambles": November 23, 2020
"Late Bloomer?—Replanting My Writing Life", A is for Aging September 23, 2020
"Heart to Heart...to Heart: Imagine My Surprise!", Cynsations September 23, 2020
"Keep On Submitting—Except When You Don't!", Sub It Club September 21, 2020
"A Heart is Born", Nerdy Book Club September 18, 2020
Interview with Esther Hershenhorn,Teaching Authors, September 11, 2020
"Finding the 'True' in Fiction: 3 Ways to Use Memory to Deepen Fiction", GROG Blog September 9, 2020
"Why Did You Write This in Verse?", Poetry for Children (Sylvia Vardell) September 4, 2020
"The Writer's Mindset: Develop Your Resilience as a Writer by Becoming More Flexible", Children's Book Insider September 2020
"Beyond Wonderful" - ON THE NIGHT OF THE SHOOTING STAR by Amy Hest, illus. by Jenni Desmond", Nerdy Book Club Blog, January 15, 2020
Book Review, SCBWI Bulletin, Summer 2018
“The Delight of Dreams That Don’t Come True”, W.O.W.—Women on Writing, 2016.
“Saying No”, The Sun, November 2015
“The Productivity of Letting Go”, Author Magazine, April 2015
“Side by Side”, The Shine Journal, December 2014
“The Seven and One-Half Week Moment”, You & Me: America's Medical Magazine, November 2014
“The Freedom of Letting Go”, Julie Hedlund's 12 x 12, April 2013

Illinois Arts Council Grant, 2018-19 and 2020-21
Ragdale Foundation Writer’s Residency, 2016
Highlights Foundation scholarship for Novel in Verse workshop, 2012
Highlights Foundation scholarship for Picture Book workshop, 2006
REENI’S TURN (novel-in-verse), Sydney Taylor Manuscript Competition, Honorable Mention, 2018
JAKEY’S JAZZY RHYTHM (picture book), Katherine Paterson Award Finalist, 2016
REENI’S TURN (novel-in-verse), Katherine Paterson Award Finalist, 2014
“Secondly” (flash fiction), Women on Writing Flash Fiction Award Second Place, 2012
THE INSIDE OUT, UPSIDE DOWN, JUST-SO HANUKKAH MIRACLE (picture book), The Whole Megillah Award Honorable Mention, 2010.
EMMA AND TRICKY (picture book), Smart Writers Award Third Place, 2006
THIS AND THAT (picture book), Kay Snow Award for Children’s Ms., First Place, 2002