Category: Writing

Social Commentary, Writing

April 5, 2023

Burn-out Culture is Winning

By Neva Knott In my last post I asked myself and you why we work. I meant that to be a little series as I began a new job. Three months later, here I am, finally back at this blog. Ahem. All the little things…too tired when I get home, dogs to walk, dinner to…
Social Commentary, Writing

January 14, 2023

What work do you do? Why?

by Neva Knott I awoke this morning thinking about work. I imagine that is often the first thought of each of us in our capitalism culture of getting and having. The pandemic put my work into a tailspin because, well, my whole teaching career had been budget cuts, budget cuts, budget cuts and COVID just…
Writing

June 18, 2020

Walking…

By Neva Knott That one day, the day after a series of grueling migraines, I yearned toward water. We left the apartment, Ted and I. It was a Sunday, just a few weeks ago. A soft hint of rain fell from the sky as we turned the bend at the corner of the state patrol…
Around the Pacific Northwest, Environmental Issues/Nature, Personal Narrative, Photography, Writing

April 23, 2020

A robin, a church, a garden

By Neva Knott March 15. Yesterday, Saturday, we awoke to snow. Light flurries, swirling but not sticking. Dry snow and a cold wind coming up off the low end of the Salish Sea. Ted and I walked for an hour, through our neighborhood, up toward Trinity. A few people were cleaning brush at the church…
Writing

March 7, 2019

A Line Down The Middle—The Landscape of Garry Winogrand’s Photograph, New Mexico 1957
Collage of Life, Personal Narrative, Portland, The Writing Hour, Writing

September 27, 2017

The Writing Hour: Downtown Nordstrom is my Breakfast at Tiffany’s

By Neva Knott First, a little writing process/challenge overview. A few days ago, I started this category of The Writing Hour because I’d grumbled to a friend I wasn’t getting any writing done…and he reminded me, just do it for an hour a day. Knowing he was/is right, I took up the challenge. Diligently, the…
Environmental Issues/Nature, Personal Narrative, Photography, Social Commentary, Travel, Writing

September 16, 2017

Is my passion worth an hour a day?

By Neva Knott My life has been a frazzled mess for a couple of years. Or five years, to be specific. Or the last decade since I made a huge career move not knowing the recession was coming and having not yet totally gotten back to full-time, professional employment. Or for the last twelve years…
Writing

December 25, 2016

And so this is Christmas…

By Neva Knott 2016 has been a fucked up year yet as I say that I wonder what year in recent memory hasn’t been for me? This year began with our dear friend Jimmy Boyer dying, on January 21. I’d tried to reach him over the holidays and on New Year’s. I knew something was…
Environmental Issues/Nature, Hawaii, MFA Thesis, Personal Narrative, Photography, Social Commentary, Travel, Writing

August 29, 2016

Malama Aloha A’aina Kaho’olawe: Caring for the Land the Hawaiian Way

By Neva Knott I’m dreaming and a beautiful noise comes in and I’m dreamt awake to the sound of the conch shell, the pu. The night is still dark. Time to prepare for sunrise. Time to go into the ocean and cleanse. I walk down to the shore and take in the stillness of the…
Hawaii, MFA Thesis, Oregon, Personal Narrative, Writing

August 25, 2016

Next…surviving the loss of love, buying a house, and digging in the dirt to feel alive again

By Neva Knott Dirty dishes are piled in the sink, one cup atop one plate, atop one bowl and flanked by one knife, one fork, one spoon. There’s a pan for each day’s meal: the saucepan for Monday’s soup, the skillet for Tuesday’s packaged potstickers, and the baking dish for Wednesday’s and Thursday’s pre-seasoned packaged…