How I Learned to Love Women’s Basketball
I’ve never been a fan of basketball. I don’t like the screech of tennis shoes on the wood floor and the cacophony of whistles and buzzers echoing in the arena. My disdain for basketball has remained fully intact my entire life until this past Saturday when I watched the University of Iowa women play Michigan […]
That’s a Wrap!
When my World Piece book tour finished in March, I had no idea what I was going to do next. I did know, however, that writing World Piece was so taxing I didn’t want to write another book anytime soon. All I knew is that I wanted—needed—a new creative goal, one that would push me […]
RAGBRAI: 500 Miles of Pie Across Iowa
We are making a documentary film called “Pieowa“ about the obsession with pie in Iowa. Really. People are so obsessed with pie they will ride their bikes 500 miles, braving sweltering heat and headwinds over 7 days, just so they can eat it every day! As part of the film we will be covering this […]
Pie vs. Cake: Bake BOTH to Support Mental Health
Valerie Van Galder is the creator of the Depressed Cake Shop. Cake may not be pie, but I’m a fan of anything that’s baked for a greater good. The DCS website, which is beautifully designed, reads, “Research has shown that baking is a pursuit that fits a type of therapy known as behavioral activation. Psychologists […]
Thanksgiving Pie: You Can Do It!
I’ve been seeing a lot of pie sellers’ posts on social media announcing they’re not taking any more pie orders for Thanksgiving, that they’re sold out. Didn’t order your pie in time? DON’T PANIC! You can make your own and I promise it will turn out fine. Making dough is easier than you think. Here’s […]
The Power of One Pie
Allison Engel is a playwright, a journalist, a political activist, a communications director, and so much more. She’s a force! (Read her bio and you’ll see what I mean.) We have a lot of writer friends in common because she lived part-time in Iowa, but she was also living part-time in LA, so when I […]
Diary of a Book Launch: Vulnerability and Trust
My official book launch date for World Piece is tomorrow, September 21, International Day of Peace. That said, the book has already been available for about a week, thus the release has been a slow roll-out versus a singular moment—a tide coming in instead of a wave crashing on the sand. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make […]
Need Hope? Jane Goodall Will Give You Some
This post originally aired as a commentary on Tri States Public Radio. To listen, go here. Author E.B. White once said, “I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult.” For me, planning my day is never the […]
My Pie Cookbook, Now in Paperback
Finally! It’s back! Now in paperback, and as an ebook. If you just want to buy the book, you can get in on Amazon, IndieBound, or ask your local bookseller. If you want to hear the story of how the book came back into print, read on. My cookbook, MS. AMERICAN PIE, originally published in hardcover […]
Tis the Season . . . for Finding Solutions
This essay originally aired on TriStates Public Radio. Go here to listen. Bah humbug. I don’t know about you but I’m really struggling with the holidays this year. It’s a perfect storm, a trifecta of winter weather, the pandemic, and climate crisis. I mean, geez, why bother even getting out of bed? But I only allow […]