There's no definition for Hawaii Women's Journal. And that's the point. As our managing editor writes in her letter opening this issue, "Strict roles do not function well here." I just wrote a manifesto on why I write, to contribute to a friend's project. "Our world is full of word problems, isn’t it? Writing is…
"Retail Therapy," a piece I wrote a couple years ago in a flash and recently pulled back out for a quick facelift, is on Tiny Lights. I absolutely love their Flash in the Pan section. The inspiring description, a good reminder for all writers: "Writers have a lot in common with the prospectors who swarmed California…
"Memory can be warped, it lies, it tells us what we want to hear. So part of this essay is a call to work beyond personal knowledge and thus beyond memory, to test that memory against other evidence in the world. Memory will rarely match that evidence very neatly, but this is a good thing.…
My sisters and I always call my mother on November 2nd. Today, she asked me if I remembered the cakes we made for Daddy. "I gave you each a can of frosting and you decorated with lots and lots of sprinkles. Daddy always acted so surprised!" When I told her that no, unfortunately, I don't…
"Did you miss your father on your wedding day?" asked A. We stood on the back deck of another friend's new house, munching hot pizza. Two-year-olds in soft Halloween costumes (bear, dog, tutu) rode up and down the stairs in parents' arms, giving the illusion of a funicular. I watched the birthday boy, long free…
