3 powerful women

I want to tell you about 3 incredible women who have influenced my life as a writer, reader and human.

I met Jane Hodges (website) in a University of Washington short story workshop, and at first I was terrified of the accomplished, sassy-talking New Yorker, but we soon bonded over our tart senses of humor and Capricorn driven-ness. Since then Jane has gone on to conquer journalism in Seattle, write fiction and nonfiction, publish books on women in real estate, and start and manage a spectacular PNW writing retreat. She remains a woman of power and a little mystery and is my go-to for reading recommendations or a sympathetic ear to trade war stories and possibly sip a cocktail.

Laura Kalpakian (website here) was one of our instructors at UW night school and with her warmth, intellect and liveliness quickly became a trusted mentor and friend. In addition to publishing more than a dozen delightful and award-winning novels, Laura is an incisive reader and thoughtful editor. I still consult my notes from our classes together. Her exercises on "Straw into Gold," using the pain and truth and fragments of shit in life to create, still motivate me. 

Through Laura I met Cami Ostman (website), and after one of my essays was published in an anthology Cami co-edited (Beyond Belief: the Secret Life of Women in Extreme Religions), I became a fan of her approach to writing, editing and publishing. She's a coach and therapist and has built a successful business helping others achieve their writing goals. As I've been working on a memoir and struggling sometimes for direction or inspiration in the weird world of publishing, Cami always has a kind word or a thoughtful suggestion.

I'm continuing to meet writers and readers and expand my network but I wouldn't be where I am today, with a dozen published short stories and essays to my credit and a burning desire to keep going, without these three. I hope they know how they've motivated and inspired me. It's humbling and I feel pretty lucky.