AMO’S BLOG – Page 6 – Anne-Marie Oomen

February 27, 2018

3/1/2018 Lake Michigan Mermaid Event

March 1, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Special prequel launch at Saugatuck Center for the Arts, Saugutuck Intriguing Conversation, $16 | Cash Bar Ticket includes a signed copy!!! http://www.sc4a.org/Happenings/Lake-Michigan- Mermaid.aspx MARCH 1 | 7:00 - 8:30 PM Intriguing Conversation with Authors $16 | Cash Bar Ticket includes a signed copy of Lake Michigan Mermaid Join authors Linda Nemec Foster and Anne-Marie Oomen with illustrator Meridith Ridl for an exciting book launch celebration and conversation inspired by our exhibition "Surface Tension". During this debut event Foster and Oomen will

February 8, 2018

AMO on Writing: Thoughts on later Stage Revision

Later Stage Revision? For some folks: bleh. For me, a continuously surprising set of interactions with a draft. It’s alive. Later stage revision is marked by confidence, terror, skills, commitment, uncertainty, practice, inspiration, boredom, feedback, deadlines, the state of the draft, sleep and coffee. Among other things. Sound familiar? I can only share my own experience; yours will be a different drama, but we writers may be comforted and stimulated

September 1, 2017

Lost Lake Writers Retreat, October 5-7, 2017

I'll be doing a reading and exciting presentation, "A Truer Telling: on Memoir and Revision" on Friday and serving on a panel about inspiration on Saturday. Join me and other Michigan writers for an invigorating literary weekend. http://www.springfed.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=77:llwr&catid=1:latest-news

September 1, 2017

Staring at Trees: Best Rest Practice

My writer friend Katey Schultz, sent me a postcard. Snail mail post card. Nice. On it, a question: “What if our culture valued rest and relaxation?” Thanks Katey, what if? IF: the operative word. Ahem. I was busy. I was tired. I didn’t have time. To paraphrase, the world was too much with me…. But you know how it is when favorite people ask a real question? Next, in her lovely

June 23, 2017

Lordy I Love That Word

Let me proclaim it: I love the Lordy word. Not I love the Good Lord, an entirely different thing; I’ll discuss that shortly. Why do I love the word Lordy? First, it’s one of those exclamations I caught myself saying for the first time in a long time because, though I’d almost forgotten it, it was suddenly everywhere. I’d lost it in my willingness to use real profanity with abandon

March 8, 2017

A Flag and a Drum: Free Press, Free People Rally

Saturday, March 7 The first person I see as I walk down Front Street in Traverse City, Michigan to stand in front of our regional newspaper office, Record-Eagle, is old friend and organizer Ashlea Walters with her two children. How lovely, the children here in the bright March sun, demonstrating with us. They jump up and down (hop really—like small rabbit people) with child-sized signs in their hands. Their mother holds

March 8, 2017

Across the Street: Planned Parenthood rally

I have been a long-time supporter of Planned Parenthood, giving regularly and willingly because Planned Parenthood is the single reason I didn’t get pregnant in college. Because here’s the truth; in the post free-love seventies, I was sexually active. I should say it louder. I was sexually active. (Does bolding the letters do it?) Not just active but maybe frenetic. Gosh, I loved sex. To my credit, I was monogamous,

February 27, 2017

What I Learned Marching in DC

Forty-Four hours and twenty-two minutes from the time Bus 1 TC (organized by Becky Beauchamp) pulled away from Leelanau Studios to the time we arrived back at the parking lot. About nine of those hours were actually spent at the march in Washington D.C. I offer here what I saw, what I felt, the “understandings” that are now seared in memory, even some thoughts I do not yet fully understand.

February 27, 2017

Why I’m Going to march in Washington DC

On January 21, the day after the inauguration, I will attend the Women’s March in Washington D.C. to spend the day walking Independence Avenue with people from all over the country. Simultaneously, marches will occur in major cities all over the country. Why am I going? I’m compelled for a myriad of reasons I have been asked to voice here. I will march first because of my beautiful amazing students who

February 27, 2017

A Couple Walk into a Bar…

A man and woman walk into a bar. Pretend the couple is me and my husband, David. We sit at the bar and order two beers. Overhead, three TV’s hang in their vivid color, ALL of them tuned to FOX news. When we ask for one to be switched to CNN, no one can find the remote. No one can find the remote?!? In this time when many people are having