Sonja Writes

The Blog

Essays on books, the writing life, small-town water, and the strange business of being a person. New notes land on the newsletter first.

Snow-covered houses at dusk

A Holiday Fairytale, Part Two

When Greta stepped through the blanket door, she gasped in amazement. The chalet was bursting with charm. A fire blazed in the hearth. A…

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Snow-covered houses at dusk

A Holiday Fairytale, Part One

Illustration by Ainsley Cutter Author’s note: Inspired by my daughter who has been reading re-worked fairytales by young adult author Marissa Meyer, I decided…

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A golden pie on a white plate

Cranberry Sauce

First, there has to be classical music. I was raised to believe that no cooking or baking happens in a quiet kitchen. When cooking…

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A wooden dock reaching into a misty lake at dawn

The Gorge

            We aren’t supposed to be here. Drugs. Drownings. Injuries. Arrests.  Not only had our parents forbidden it, but the area was regularly policed.…

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Two women talking at a wooden table

Tatum’s Girls

It is fall. Tatum. Pretty. Slight. Angular. Shy. She carries her infant in her arms, her two older girls trailing behind. My infant girl,…

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A fountain pen resting on writing paper

The Bureau

10:00 I hoped to miss the early rush and sneak in and out unscathed. The parking lot tells me my hopes are stupid. I…

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A misty autumn forest lane

The Note Tree

            I skid my bike to a stop, whacking the kickstand down as I simultaneously dismount. I step under the shady bough, the smell…

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A fountain pen resting on writing paper

The Note

I didn’t know where else to go. I had made it through this horrible day, and now I was bereft. My feet find the…

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A rolling pin and bowl for baking

Pecan Sandies

I am hiding the evidence, one bite at a time. A few weeks ago, I started with the chocolates. Then the peanut butter bites.…

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A misty autumn forest lane

The Lost Season

I’ve made it. Somehow I’ve made it to practice. My mother and I have just returned from visiting my sister in Madrid. The eight-and-a-half-hour…

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