Writing

Heather's desk has a large computer, books, and a green plant
My desk

I see writing as a way to practice mindfulness and focus/attention. Writing is most rewarding for me when I approach it as a process for creating curiosity, openness, connection, and kindness.

In my daily practice, I’m most interested in trying to, as Hemingway put it, write one true sentence. Because this is impossible to do, we can remain deeply engaged. I see writing as a process of increasing powers of observing and listening. The idea is to try to become more aware of what’s going on inside and outside at the same time.

I’ve been writing and making books by hand since I was a child, when I bound together stories, poems, and short essays, one of each, in single volumes. In elementary school, my dream was to become a teacher and create a textbook for students who, like me, do school differently.

I grew up in Florida and have lived there for many years, and this complex and vulnerable place serves as setting, subject, and metaphor.

I’m currently working on essays and poems along with a novel for middle grade readers