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, believing that emotional resilience is an essential tool for the writing journey.

My work explores, wonders about, and supports my own journey and the journeys of my readers.

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

Regular Columns and Blog Posts

• Reporter for Cynsations blog

• Regular Columnist, “The Inside Story” Illinois-SCBWI Prairie Wind

  • A Writing Life at the Intersection Between Shy and Introvert

  • What Does That Mean?

• Regular Blogger, The GROG blog 2019

  • ANYWHERE—The Place Ideas Live, Part One

  • ANYWHERE—The Place Ideas Live, Part Two

Selected Articles, Essays, and Guest Posts

• "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

• “Letting in the Light” and “Why I Don’t Journal”, Meredith Resnick’s Writer's [Inner] Journey

• “Baby Steps to a Better You”, Chicago Parent, August 2009

• “From Pessimism to Optimism”, Chicago Parent, August 2009

• “Learned Optimism for Writers”, Children’s Book Insider, May 2009

• “Revise Yourself”, SCBWI Bulletin, SCBWI, May-June 2006

• “Between a Rock”, Na’amat Woman, Spring 2002

• “First Time Forever”, JUF News, June 2001