"Arrogant. Yucky. Can’t do it."
Published: Fri, 06/24/16
On April 5, 2013 at 9:23am, I received the following email from a woman named “Alice.” (Name changed for her privacy.)The backstory:Alice signed up to…
Alexandra Franzen
It's worth the risk.
Published: Fri, 06/10/16
This is Sarah. She’s one of my dearest friends. Almost seven years ago—back when I was living in Minneapolis, working at a public broadcasting…
Surprise! Join me for a workshop - plus a story about not finishing.
Published: Tue, 06/07/16
First, the big news:I'm leading a workshop this summer at my loft in Portland, Oregon... and you're invited!This workshop is called Make A Tiny Book.
My official summer reading & listening list [good things inside]
Published: Sat, 06/04/16
Whenever I reach the end of a beloved TV show or book series I always feel empty and panicked.It's like waving "goodbye" to a friend who's moving to…
Tiny is big.
Published: Thu, 05/19/16
Last year, while I was going through some intense health struggles (broken leg, surgery, crutches, yada yada) I found a necklace that a friend had…
A letter to my mom. (And moms everywhere.)
Published: Fri, 05/06/16
Dear mom,When I was 8 years old, my school had a field trip to visit the zoo or museum or something. I don’t remember. It doesn’t matter.What I do…
Be the lighthouse. (And: how I became a professional writer.)
Published: Thu, 04/21/16
When Maggie started her blog, she had e actly zero readers.OK, maybe one. Her devoted husband.“You can do it, babe!” he said.“I know I can!” she…
Do something cool.
Published: Fri, 04/15/16
There’s a guy named Nate who runs a small donut and chai tea shop here in Portland. Recently, Nate had a neat idea:“What if I give all of my employees…
How to tell a great story – onstage.
Published: Wed, 04/06/16
I’m comfortable telling stories online.I’ve got no problem sharing stories with friends over coffee.I feel good about my storytelling skills on Skype,…
He’s waiting. She’s listening.
Published: Tue, 03/29/16
A little over si years ago, I started my first blog.It was called “Unicorns For Socialism”—a name that, to this day, still makes no sense to me or…