one sister and two brothers

Writing with Ruth in Telluride, Colorado


Lincoln, Massachusetts with John


Boulder, Colorado with Donny

What is it about writing? We all do it. Ruth teaches writing to middle school students, coaches teachers through the Oregon Writing Project, writes memoir and is also writing "Bobo and Danny" stories for the grandkids. She is a great story teller as her nieces and nephews and anyone who has been around her for more than five minutes can tell you. And does she ever have material! I've lived a daring life vicariously through my big sis. Skinning snakes, sneaking out at night, the list goes on.

John wrote songs and accompanied himself on his ukulele in middle school. He even made a vinyl recording of "Goodbye My Jill". But as he got older, he was not encouraged to write. Let's face it, it is not a promising profession. He got the message loud and clear to "get serious." So he did get serious for 35 years. Finally his story refused to stay inside and out it came, hour after hour, month after month, it willed its way onto the page. The Viet Nam experience that we had only heard fragments of came to life. Look for his book, Loon, A Marine's Story by Jack McLean published by Random House coming out on May 19.

As a kid growing up, I rushed to the front hall table after school to look for letters from my older brother, Donny. He did not disappoint. During his two years in the Peace Corps in Thailand he sent me letters and postcards. I ripped off every colorful, exotic postage stamp. I sure wish I'd saved those letters. Then came his years of working as a loan officer for banks which made it possible for him to live in the Phillipines, Australia, and Korea, and he traveled widely from those home bases. He sent me funny postcards and even created ficticious friends who wrote to me. I still have some cards from Rosa Rodriquez! He is a keen observer of the world through words and photos.

When I was in third grade my grandmother gave me a "five year diary" with a brown cover, gold edged pages and, best of all, a lock and key. I was grateful for the lock, I didn't want my older siblings reading my most private thoughts. Looking back on that now, I realize they weren't the least bit interested! But the diary stayed locked just in case. When she gave it to me, Grandma gave me one directive, "always start by recording the weather." Which I dutifully did and occasionally still do. I have written in diaries and journals ever since. I have attended writing workshops, read about writing and shared what I have learned with others. It may be that writing became my medium from an early age because, really, with two parents and three talkative older siblings, there wasn't much air time!