Pam Records's Blog: Pam Says:, page 22

Canning Jars Wall of Fame

I’ve collected old canning jars for decades. I love the colors, the imperfections in the glass, yet the elegance of the swirled letters and very practical shape. They seem to be an art form all their own. Utilitarian grace. I acquired my first box of a dozen or so old Ball jars while I was still attending Ball State University. On a weekend road trip exploring the small towns around Muncie, Indiana, our group of explorers stumbled on an auction taking place in a back yard of a dilapidated old

Hegewisch Fest!

​You could call it a pilgrimage. That sounds more intriguing than saying I'm here in Hegewisch to hawk books. Pilgrimage means a return to the place of origin, right? That works. Hegewisch is the place where the novel is set, where the inspiration originated. I suppose you could trace the origins of this story about immigrants back to Poland, but that seems extreme, crossing an ocean and all. The journey from Indianapolis to Hegewisch was challenging enough. I wasn't sure what to expect at the

Defining Success

What is success for an author? I haven’t a clue. And this stupid question, a moral quandary as well as a literary oxymoron, is driving me nuts. It’s rather like asking Alexa “What’s the meaning of life?” and expecting an answer. There is no answer. And, here’s the oxymoron part: I doubt “author” and “success” can really coexist in the same sentence. Could a typical writer, driven by the need to string words and be understood, have the blind audacity to self-proclaim himself/herself a