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a little writing corner

 

at the intersection of

faith, art and being human

 

deborah wenzler farris

True ease in writing comes from art, not chance,

As those move easiest who have learned to dance.

From “An Essay on Criticism” Alexander Pope

Little Isla the Changemaker

Little Isla turned nine on March 5. She was supposed to visit her Auntie and Uncle to celebrate her birthday, but she got sick and had to wait a week. For her birthday treat, they all went to Boswell’s Bookstore and she picked out Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls...

Sticky Buns and Sundays

Front of magazine I just got home after walking over to pick up some Sunday morning bakery from Patty at Sendicks on Downer. Including a big Sticky Bun! We had a croissant in the freezer leftover from Charlie’s last visit but Todd likes sugar. So Fannie and I went to...

The Writing Corner: On Writing Details and Getting Criticism

This morning, I woke up realizing I had dreamt an entire story in the night and also gone so far as to have written it down. “Or I was trying to to get it written,” I said to Todd after we woke up. “I was editing, I had a deadline, and the characters weren’t behaving....

“It’s a Gorgeous Day!”

True, it was 73 degrees yesterday. The day ended with lightning. And high winds. A thunderstorm came, followed by hail and rain. We woke up to snow. But yesterday? “It’s a gorgeous day!” Liz said, her face exuding the beauty of a truly spectacular February day in...

The Happy Place: How I Found It

Have you noticed how many good stories on streaming services currently are coming from books by authors being published today? It’s inspiring for a writer, isn’t it? Or is it? Working on a novel I have had to ask, is that a means to the end? Or is writing itself the...

Wordless-ness

I have not yet learned to hold back my words in Prayer. I sit - silent - and words do come floating on wings, butterflies in my brain. In silence - You fill me I overflow with Words. Why, Words come to life in Silence! Have I so misunderstood? Do I have this wrong?...

A Long Trail of Sweet Fragrance

From the foot of the long driveway, I got out of my car and was taken aback by the fragrant aroma traveling through the air to greet me. Turkish spices, tomatoes, garlic and potatoes, kale and golden raisins, were all surely doing their best to behave and blend...

When the North Wind Blows (Inside)

On any given Tuesday at 10:30 A.M. you will find me at City Market on Capital Dr. in Milwaukee with my friends, Lizzy and Ann. Our history together is rich and deep and reaches way back through the years. My mom was there at Lizzy’s birth! I was not. But the story...

When Someone You Love is Being Hurt

The Artwork displayed in this piece is by Photographer JR Korpa from Malaga, Spain. Note to reader: This story references physical abuse. When I found out that you had a friend you were worried was in an abusive relationship, I wanted to speak up. And I didn’t. Back...

“What Affects One…Affects All”

In 1963, from the Birmingham Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote: “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” I’m sure it was not a coincidence that these words...
“This is what I call a Master piece in every sense. Beautifully thought and beautifully written. I am always glad for my visits here.” –Sarah
Deborah Wenzler Farris

Deborah Wenzler Farris

Author

Farris is a writer living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her stories and poetry focus on the intersection of faith, art and being human. She is a former equity actress and singer who served on the adjunct faculties of Tulane University, the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, and the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee. She was Executive Director of the nonprofit arts organization Danceworks MKE for 18 years and is the author of Conversations with Dad. She recently completed a new Creative Nonfiction about the missionary journey of Marc and Nancy Erickson, and is currently working on her debut Novel.

Farris holds a BFA in Inter-Arts with a focus on Voice and an MFA in Dance, both from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee — though during her many moves and adventures in theatre, she also earned credits at the New School for Social Research in NYC, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She writes weekly on her blog to encourage hope in hard places.

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Conversations With Dad – The Book

Told with tenderness and humor, this is a love story—the love of a man for his wife and family, his love for his work and church, and the love of a daughter for her parents. It is rich with memories of her father’s life adventures and career as a noted architect. Layered with the author’s personal account of her walk with her parents as they aged, their health declined, and the eventual loss, Conversations with Dad grew out of time spent together—father and daughter—sharing the stories of those who paved the way for her.

Purchase your copy today.

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