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by Sally Wiener Grotta on March 30, 2020 at 3:45 pm

In 1918, my Aunt Rose's life was saved during the Spanish flu epidemic by a traditional "sprecher", a Jewish man who sat by her bed talking to her. Or so my Grandma believed. A superstition? Perhaps. But maybe words and a loving touch can keep the spirit tied to life, or at least make life worth living.

by Sally Wiener Grotta on March 19, 2020 at 1:43 pm

Working from home is nothing new for freelance writer/artist Sally Wiener Grotta. Here's the time management routine she has developed over the years which has helped her be so productive.

by Sally Wiener Grotta on March 18, 2020 at 1:02 am

We can learn a lot from our dogs. For them, joy exists in the moments of the day – in chasing a butterfly, in cuddling with their person, in seeking the sunlight -- even on cloudy days, such as the current crisis.

by Sally Wiener Grotta on March 18, 2020 at 12:45 am

by Sally Wiener Grotta on March 17, 2020 at 8:34 pm

This is a test One two three four. My dog is sitting by the door.

by Sally Wiener Grotta on February 25, 2020 at 3:13 am

After a career as a fashion designer and then as a writer, Stacia Friedman rediscovered painting. And it has reawakened her creative spirit. "No sooner had I started painting than I felt parts of my brain re-awakening. It was as unexpected and exciting as getting back the use of a paralyzed limb."

by Sally Wiener Grotta on February 21, 2020 at 7:49 pm

What inspires you? What experiences have helped you clear the cobwebs from your mind? In her Feb 2020 newsletter Sally Wiener Grotta discusses how, for her, it's the fellowship of artists, writers and other creative thinkers -- both those who came before and those that "walk" beside us.

by Sally Wiener Grotta on February 17, 2020 at 4:25 am

Awed by the creativity of others, my own creativity is ignited. Last week, when I attended the Broadway production of "Girl from North Country" by Conor McPherson with Bob Dylan music, all my senses were energized, and my thoughts and emotions took off on unexpected journeys.

by Sally Wiener Grotta on February 8, 2020 at 8:48 pm

Trapeta B. Mayson's (Phila's poet laureate) lecture on Toni Morrison at The Rosenbach library was an invigorating reminder that the creative process requires giving ourselves permission to stumble and even periodically fail on the rocky path toward our vision.

by Sally Wiener Grotta on February 2, 2020 at 9:58 pm

"The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit" by Lucette Lagnado recreates the lost splendor of post-World War II Cairo and her family's eventual destitution as Jewish refugees with a clear eye and well-crafted prose that sidesteps sentimentality.