Writing the Stories That Connect Us

You can now order signed copies of The Luck We Carry from me! There’s something about a signed book. Not just the signature—though I’ll admit I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of time practicing mine over the years. It’s the knowing. The knowing that someone held this exact copy, thought about you (yes, you specifically), uncapped a Sharpie, and made it yours. The Luck We Carry has been out in the world for a little while now, and if there’s one thing I keep hearing, it’s thi

Realizing an event I've dreamed of since I was thirteen. Nobody tells you what it feels like the night before your first author event. Or maybe they do, and you just don't hear it until you're standing in your kitchen at 9 pm, double-checking that you packed enough bookmarks. That was me, Friday night. Barbara's Bookstore in Yorktown Center did an amazing job welcoming me and my book! Saturday afternoon, I walked into Barbara's Bookstore in Lombard—a place that has been selli

The mantle above my fireplace holds two framed photographs and a greeting card propped between them. On the left: a group of friends—the A-List we call ourselves because we started in Level A at Second City and went through the entire 2-year program from beginning to end together—laughing, arms around each other, the kind of photo where everyone looks exactly like themselves. These are people who knew me when I met Ken—who loved him, mourned him, and then quietly, steadily ke