Welcome! You’ll find here my books, a weekly arts and culture column, and a decade’s worth of blog posts.

I also offer writing workshops, retreats on the creative vocation, talks on a variety of subjects, manuscript editing, spiritual companionship, and Zoom chats—either on a particular topic or free-form—for groups of any size.

“Desire lines” are the names given by urban planners to what happens when one person’s impulsive shortcut encourages others to follow, creating informal, unmapped channels through a city.

What if, together, we could begin to make new desire lines—for ourselves, for the world?

WRITING WORKSHOPS

My eight-week writing workshops–the next one begins in September!–combine instruction, writing prompts, in-class critique/discusson and an atmosphere of intense welcome, encouragement and support.

DESIRE LINES WORKSHOPS

Oh people this will be so much fun. We are going to map our hearts.
TO BE ANNOUNCED!

SPEAKING

I’ve given talks across the country and here in LA on conversion, recovery from addiction, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the nobility of artistic vocation, cooking, gardening, travel, prayer, and how to live on 20 grand a year.

EDITING

With decades’ worth of experience, several award-winning memoirs, and the #1 regular arts and culture column in the country from the Catholic Press Association, I can help you envision, shape, write, revise and edit your essay, short story, or manuscript.

OH HELL, WATCH A VIDEO, TOO