Cari Noga's Blog, page 4

Re-Kindling the inspiration of a Miracle

t’s often said that truth is stranger than fiction. But as a novelist, I’ve found the opposite: Truth is an agent of familiarity. A story or character with an experience or personality that rings true to a reader’s will resonate more clearly with that reader. That’s why coming-of-age stories and love stories are so popular. [...]

This I believe – 2014 edition

ear-end assessments and new year’s resolutions are both tools I find helpful for making decisions. This year I’ve decided to combine them into what I’m calling my 2014 manifesto. Organized into the two themes I most often write about, this I believe: Autism/parenting I believe that both person-first language and identity-first language are valid. To the [...]

Channeling the NaNo mojo

oday I got the oil changed in my car, made a decent dent in the Christmas shopping, replenished every conceivable household toiletry item, got my annual eye exam, met friends for drinks and wrote this blog post. All on top of my usual work and family obligations. What caused this fit of hyper-efficiency and productivity? [...]

This is autism.

My eight-year-old son Owen is highly visual, so my (day late) contribution to the This is Autism flashblog is also visual, in his honor. A – Across the board thinker. Sometimes described as a black and white thinker, I think “across the board” fits a bit better. Owen understands rules and patterns and finds them [...]

Inconceivable but true – cash for cars, not kids

y town often makes “best-of” lists. Among other distinctions, Traverse City and its environs have been named the best small town, best place to retire, best beaches, best beer destination, best wine destination, best summer trip and best winter trip. We’re among the best places to do a triathlon, golf with your buddies, have an [...]

Emerging from the bunker

ye, Carter,” my son said to a classmate on the playground after school a few weeks ago. “Bye, Owen,” the classmate replied. “See you tomorrow,” Owen said. Tears didn’t trickle down my cheeks, but my eyes were definitely damp. That two-round, Owen-initiated verbal interaction with a peer has been three years in the making. Three [...]

Together, we make a beautiful bench

A few weeks ago I went to see Don Julin and Billy Strings, a bluegrass duo that’s been drawing big crowds in my town. (If you haven’t heard them, I’ll wait right here while you get over to You Tube now and listen between 1:40 and 2:40.) They put on a great live show. More [...]

Of solid projectiles and Writer’s Workshop

y Webster’s New World Dictionary lists two dozen definitions of the word “shot.” There are seventeen for the noun form, four for the adjective, and four idiomatic, including shot in the arm, call the shots, and take a shot. For my daughter, however, there is only one definition. No. 14, “a hypodermic injection, as of vaccine.” [...]

Aloha, Ali

ow do you thank someone for seven years of peace of mind? How do you thank someone for seven years of mental health preservation? How do you thank someone for seven years of silently shadowing you as a parent, changing diapers alongside, persevering through toilet training, through the Terrible Twos and Even Worse Threes, “watching [...]

Ad libbing at the Glen Lake Library

As a self-published author, marketing has been my mantra for the last several months. I don’t mind. I think my books are good. But it was fun last week to shift the spotlight to someone else’s. The Glen Lake Library invited me for their weekly children’s program. I was to discuss “What does it mean [...]