"Sunday Night"

Make use of the things around you.
This light rain
Outside the window, for one.
This cigarette between my fingers,
These feet on the couch.
The faint sound of rock-and-roll,
The red Ferrari in my head.
The woman bumping
Drunkenly around in the kitchen...
Put it all in,
Make use.

                 - Raymond Carver

The Things We Know Nothing About on Nailed

Hi Reader:

I'm tickled to announce that Nailed Magazine has published my short story The Things We Know Nothing About on their site. Many thanks to all the folks at Nailed, Carrie and Matty and Colin. As always, I'm grateful to have my work out in the world.

I'd like to say something witty and charming now about writing and life and connecting with readers, but I am tired. I've been alone with my two tiny kids all day and it's all I can do to drink this beer before passing out in a haze of demented exhaustion.

Know this, I love you. And thank you for reading. Keep on!

M

The Anthology is here! And I'm reading at Powells!

Reader:

If you're a writer, what you really hope is that someday you can read your work at Powells City of Books, and I, lucky lady that I am, will get to do just that on Tuesday, May 6th, 2014 at 7:30 pm for the launch of a new anthology called The Night, and the Rain, and The River from Forest Avenue Press. Also reading that night are Joanna Rose, Scott Sparling, and Sage Cohen.

You can BUY THE BOOK and learn more about the reading HERE

Many thanks to all the hardworking folks who made this anthology possible, especially Laura Stanfill (the founder and head badass of the press), Liz Prato (the editor), and Gigi Little (who designed the cover). I am so proud to be included with you all in this project.

As always, thanks for reading and thanks for your support.
xo
m

I'm Back! - And a Reading, To Boot

Hello Reader:

You may have noticed, since I'm such a prodigious blogger, that I've been absent of writing posts for some time. Here's why:

Now that's she three months old, I'm going to attempt to return to my normal life (ha! - this will only be funny to you if you know how mercilessly children beat you into submission with their constant demands and ferociously big hearts - the combo results in you being willing to do anything they ask of you, even as you watch your formerly reasoned peaceful life drift away into the sunset while the old you pities new you from the deck of the yacht, waving goodbye with one hand, a mai tai in the other).

I'll be reading at Portland at Heart this Sunday, April 6th at 5pm at the Blue Monk alongside some of my favorite folks who write:

Kathleen Lane
Colin Farstad
Kevin Meyer
Charles Dye
Brad Rosen
Liz Greenhill
Edie Rylander
Matthew Robsinson
Michael Sage Ricci

Thanks to Colin Farstad, home from NYC for a few days, for putting this lovely event together.

I hope you can make it!

Sincerely,
Margaret
xo

THE WHOLE TRUTH - A Reading!

Hello loyal reader:

If you're in Portland (or will be next Saturday), I'd love it if you came to hear me read alongside some of my favorite local writers. We will all be baring our souls a little bit. If nothing else, it won't be boring.

THE WHOLE TRUTH: A Reading of Memoir & Non-fiction

Saturday, September 14th

7:00 p.m.

with:

Stacy Bolt

Robin Romm

Margaret Malone

Colin Farstad

Liz Scott

at

Writers' Dojo

7518 N. Chicago

Porltand, OR 97203

Here's the FB event page, if that's your thing.

I hope you can make it.

xoxo

Upcoming Workshop

Hi there:

I'm remiss because I should have posted this about seven months ago. But I didn't. I'm posting it now. (I did warn you about my lack of bloggingness.)

Next week I am teaching a two-day workshop at the magical and amazing Sitka Center for Art & Ecology called Give Yourself Completely: The Heart of Personal Narrative.

The workshop is full, but if all goes well I'll be teaching more of these workshops in the future. I'll keep you updated.

Thanks for reading.

Keep the faith,
Margaret

A Crooked Still Life

Oregon Humanities Magazine published my most recent essay in their Fall/Winter 2012 issue Next, and thanks to the brilliant Kathleen Holt some of my photos were published right along with it. Good to have them out in the light of day instead of huddled in the dark of a wooden chest. In opposition to The First Week of After, this one is about the end of everything instead of the beginning.

Thanks to Kathleen and everyone at OHm for making the piece look so beautiful.

Here's the link: A Crooked Still Life.

Thanks for reading.