by Carolyn | Dec 1, 2019 | Ireland, The SoulFire
It’s nearing 10 o’clock at night on my first day in Ireland after being away for 36 years. When I last set foot on Irish soil, I was a young woman about to embark on a career as a journalist and author. Now I am an empty-nested woman who does not know how to write the...
by Jona Kottler | Nov 30, 2019 | Ireland, The SoulFire, Unwritten, WHAT'S NEW
In this guest blog post, we hear from Jonatha Kottler, co-facilitator of the 2020 Ireland Writing Retreat along the Wild Atlantic Way, to be held June 21-25, 2020. I had wanted to go on a writing retreat for a long time. It wasn’t because I knew what to expect—maybe...
by Carolyn | Nov 7, 2019 | The SoulFire, WHAT'S NEW
Part III: Making It Magic In this post, we conclude the series about how to write a personal essay in three easy lessons. I love the personal essay as a short form that can illuminate a vital issue or a slice of life. Sometimes the essay can be a great way to test the...
by Carolyn | Oct 31, 2019 | The SoulFire
Part II: Keeping It Going This series honors the power of the personal essay. In the hands of a masterful writer, an essay has the power to evoke emotion or to lay out an argument that calls others to action. [See Part 1 if you’re wondering how to get started.]...
by Carolyn | Oct 24, 2019 | The SoulFire
Part I: Kicking It Off The personal essay is one of my favorite art forms because it has the ability to use a personal story to speak to universal truths about what it means to be human. In the hands of a masterful writer, an essay has the power to evoke emotion or...
by Carolyn | Jul 24, 2019 | Ireland, The SoulFire
I’m standing at the Hertz rental car counter in Shannon airport, when the clerk asks for my name. I simply say, “Flynn,” without spelling it. He nods, “Aye, me mum’s a Flynn.”“From what county?” I ask.“Cork,” he says.“There are a lot of Flynns in Cork,” I say.In fact,...
