Unexpected Magic

 by Margie Senechal

I don't usually like journals because they're hard to write in. Their binding is tight and you can't tear out the page--easily or neatly--and since most of my first drafts are done by hand, that's an important feature.

For my birthday, my sister gave me this journal. And I'm carrying it in my purse for when ideas arrive. Like the Night Circus, they arrive without warning.

Last week, before work, I stopped at Starbucks to edit some pages while I had lunch. Seated at the t...