Blog

Posts about either cool things I’ve done, articles I’ve written, with a few listicles and how-to pieces thrown in for good measure.

Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

Goodbye, Chicago! (A hard-won list of service providers and health-practitioners)

This is my "Goodbye, Chicago” gift; a hard-won list of favorite practitioners & service providers, gained over 18 years. I'm picky/particular, so these are not offered lightly. I'm devastated that I have to re-create this list in Los Angeles, but hope this benefits Chicago pals.

This is my "Goodbye, Chicago” gift; a hard-won list of favorite practitioners & service providers, gained over 18 years. I'm picky/particular, so these are not offered lightly. I'm devastated that I have to re-create this list in Los Angeles, but hope this benefits Chicago pals. 

ACUPUNCTURE
Lincoln Square Acupuncture--My favorite community acupuncture spot; expect a roomful of folks reclining on chairs stuck with needles, with white noise & gentle music playing. David’s an expert at doing quiet consultations, even in a “public” space. And, there is a private room if you need individualized attention. Sliding scale, starting at $25/visit. https://www.squarenergy.com/

Essential Acupuncture Chicago
Leigh Stein—is one of two women at this women-centric practice, they do a lot with internal organs, digestion, fertility. Super comfy space and individualized attention. She did an amazing grief point for me that released energy and let me move on from some serious stuckness. http://www.essentialchicago.org

PHYSICAL THERAPY/CHIROPRACTIC
Michael A. Pontarelli at Windy City Wellness
Discovering Mike 10 years ago saved my bod. He’s helped me recover from various ailments, plantar fasciitis, sprained ankle etc. he is a kinesiologist and appears sporty but is a true "healer" in every other sense. He uses modalities like acupuncture, massage (sometimes covered by insurance, and stretching/diet in his holistic approach). http://www.windycityhealth.com/

MASSAGE
Jason Borecki also at Windy City Wellness—meaning you can sometimes get referred to him for a short therapeutic massage to complement chiro treatment. I once came out of a relaxation massage wearing my dress inside out & backwards because I was just that relaxed, ENOUGH SAID. https://www.beingbodyaware.com/

Jana Robinson Cheffings, Bloom Yoga—She’s great with musculoskeletal stuff i.e., carpal tunnel, tendonitis. Gentle yet skilled at getting all the bodily jankiness worked out. Love her, she’s brought me back from the brink many times. http://bloomyogastudio.com/…/bloom-c…/jana-robison-cheffings

Patty Oria, Bloom Yoga Studio—Uses a Feldenkrais approach which is really gentle & unique and is about creating better body movement in the long term. http://www.bloomyogastudio.com/a…/bloom-community/patty-oria

DOG SERVICES
Rover-Time Dog Walking & Pet Sitting
I am devastated to leave this service behind. My dog received regular walkers, who he adored. They take photos, have an online check in to let you know when the walk is complete, and are insured. So responsible, so great. Can’t praise them, or trust them, enough. Plus they do all these community engagement projects and events. Adore. Adore! https://www.rover-time.com/

Dog Training by Kiki Yablon
When our normally gentle dog started barking at a few pooches in the neighborhood, Kiki did a home visit/walk to help us figure out what was going on and how to discourage this behavior. Her approach is compassionate, behavioral/clicker-based, and "force free" (ie no weird/scary collars). She gave us common sense behavior-based advice and it helped a ton. https://kikiyablondogtraining.com/

VETERINARIAN
Brett Andrew Grossman, Illinois Medical Veterinary District, gave our dog next-level care. He took his time at our appointments, advising us on prescription food, preventive care, supplements, activities, and lifestyle stuff to keep our pooch healthy. He was also available for some home visits if emergencies arose! And was quick to respond, while offering sound advice a few times when Cody ate something weird and we were in a panic. https://medicaldistrictvet.com/

HAIR
Stylist, Becca at Maxine Salon—She specializes in cutting underlayers that add volume. Her cuts grow out beautifully. http://maxinesalon.com/staff_becca_panos/

Color, Yvette T Bentley at Edit Salon has given me natural looking balayage highlights for years. An expert color matcher and beautiful person. http://editsalons.com/

THERAPIST
Megan Greene, cognitive behavioral therapist (CBT), good with coaching clients through real-world scenarios and pattern-breaking, she helped me become unstuck in 2018 (& is conveniently located in the Lula Cafe building). https://www.megangreenecounseling.com/

DENTIST
Jeffrey Kapp DDS I was referred to him by a bunch of Columbia College folks. Located downtown on Michigan Ave, he steers you towards preventative care and doesn’t try to upsell. The crown I’ve gotten from him has lasted, and so has the little “chip” he filled in on my front tooth. He considers himself an artist/sculptor and I love that about him. And he's training his partner in his methods for when he eventually retires. https://www.kappdental.com/

Jeff Stolarz, Whiting, IN. A childhood pal and Chicagoan, Jeff opened his business in my hometown, where he offers cutting-edge services. (Beautiful office with state-of-the-art equipment and Jeff has a kind and gentle (& funny!) chair side manner.) Prices can be lower than Chicago, comparatively. http://www.drstolarz.com/

PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN
Mary Kay Barron, at Northwestern.
Technically a nurse practitioner, gyno, but she does it all. She has a blend of Western with Eastern approach (mind-body-cognitive). Offers warm and brisk advice + a fun note: she was personal nurse for Mr. Walgreens until he died. We’ve gone to her for 14 years, I’ve also sent numerous friends/fam to her—everyone loves her. https://www.nm.org/docto…/1952315582/mary-k-barron-gawne-apn

HOUSECLEANERS
Gingerella: Chicago's Green Cleaning Service
A “green” cleaning service; they bring their own supplies, you can schedule by email and they’re insured and pay workers fairly. You can pay by Venmo, after they’re done. http://www.gingerellacleaning.com/

SPAS:
Including because I’ve reviewed a bunch of them. Note: I remain sad that all-woman Thousand Waves Spa closed
-->Peninsula Spa—Relaxation lounge and pool is everything. https://www.peninsula.com/…/wellne…/luxury-hotel-spa-chicago
-->Aire—Baths, essential for winter. https://beaire.com/en/aire-ancient-baths-chicago
-->King Spa—Co-ed spa in a mall-like environment. Read this fish-out-of-water review by Joel Reese. https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Mag…/April-2014/King-Spa/
-->Kohler (Yeah the faucet company). https://www.americanclubresort.com/spa/kohler-waters-spa

Read More
Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

Eucalyptus Steam-Room Hack

Allergies and sinus-infections are rampant right now, and lately at the gym, all I really want to do is hit the eucalyptus steam room. A few weeks ago, I wrote about how to do an hourlong detox bath ritual, but when you've only got a few minutes to spare, this refreshing and sinus-clearing eucalyptus shower is a great sub. Not to mention, it wakes you right the hell up. See DIY instructions below.

Allergies and sinus-infections are rampant right now, and lately at the gym, all I really want to do is hit the eucalyptus steam room. A few weeks ago, I wrote about how to do an hourlong detox bath ritual, but when you've only got a few minutes to spare, this refreshing and sinus-clearing eucalyptus shower is a great sub. Not to mention, it wakes you right the hell up. See DIY instructions below.

932173fc86097657-IMG_7339.jpeg

Buy a bunch of eucalytpus; flower shops and floral departments at grocery stores keep them behind the counter as filler; a bunch is $5-$8. Mount it somewhere around your shower (using floral twine if you've got it; rubber bands or string otherwise). Sprinkle 15-20 drops of eucalyptus and any other of the essential oils listed below on the sides of the tub. Turn the shower on hot, close the door, wait for five minutes and return to your own personal spa/steam room. Breathe deeply. 

Supplies: 

Fresh eucalyptus
Eucalyptus essential oil
(Opt) Peppermint essential oil
(Opt) Rosemary essential oil

Read More
Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

How to Take a (Deluxe and Healing) Detox Bath

467b562eab4d9e9b-IMG_7178.jpeg

Along with almost everyone else I know, I’ve got a bad cold right now. To cope, I'm planning on spending an exciting Friday night in my bathtub. I realized that with all my years of reviewing spa treatments and learning about handcrafting body products, herbalism, and self-care rituals, I’ve got a lot of accumulated knowledge, so I’m sharing tips about taking an detoxifying bath at home. This type of bath is particularly helpful if you’re sick, because it can help you clear your sinuses (see eucalyptus mention below), sweat out toxins, and just cleanse the lymphatic system. And it's much less weird and extreme than the (INVASIVE) Calistoga mineral mud baths or "meditation color-therapy" baths I've written about in the past. 

I always emerge from my detox baths renewed and I hope this helps you, too!

Ingredients:

Epsom salt
Baking soda
Essential oils (whatever your favorites are; I like neroli, rose, lavender)
Body brush (with stiff bristles)
Moisturizer (I recommend jojoba or shea butter)
(If desired) Ground ginger
(If desired) Himalayan or sea salt
(If desired) Dried herbs like rose, lavender, rosemary
(If desired) Muslin bag for dried herbs
(If desired) Badedas Classic Bubble Bath has fresh, woodsy scent notes like chestnut, cedarwood, and light patchouli, and basically makes me feel like I'm taking a bath in the middle of the forest
(If desired) Kneipp Sweet Dreams Herbal Bath with Valerian and Hops has sleep-inducing valerian infused in the ix. It turns the water a disturbing shade of blue but does seem to help me sleep

How-To: 

  1. Set aside 45-60 minutes so you’re not rushing, and defeating the purpose.

  2. Get a huge bottle of purified water to drink while you soak.

  3. Set the tone: i.e., light candles; dim lights.

  4. Put on some chill music. Lately, I like Solange, Cecilia Bartoli (Italian opera singer), Charlie Haden (jazz bassist), Cesaria Evora (Cape Verdean ballad singer), Paco de Lucia (flamenco), Lhasa De Sela (Mexican-American chanteuse), and Jose Gonzalez. But you know what relaxes you best: If it’s Enya, Sinatra, or Massive Attack, godspeed.* Alternatively, listen to a guided meditation or 45-minute meditation talk by Tara Brach, Washington, DC-based Buddhist teacher and therapist. They are 45 minutes and filled with insights, funny/goofy stories, and Brach’s trademark empathy.

  5. Start filling the tub with warm (not super-hot) water.

  6. Dry brush your skin while you’re waiting for tub to fill: If you’ve never done this, find out more here. The most important thing to remember is to start at your feet and hands and use long strokes, sweeping towards your heart. The idea is to help your body shed dead skin layers and help the lymphatic system eliminate waste.

  7. Add Epsom salt to water (recommended amount for adults is 2 cups; when I’m stressed or achy I do more like 5 cups).

  8. Add 1-2 cups baking soda; (it softens skin).

  9. Add a handful of Himalayan or sea salt (the cheaper alternative). 

  10. Add your favorite essential oils and/or bubble bath. To de-stress, I use neroli/lavender/rose/ylang-ylang. To clear sinuses, eucalyptus and rosemary are helpful. Dry herbs like rose, mint, lavender, or rosemary are nice too—just put them in a porous bag like this muslin one, so they don’t leave a mess in your tub.

  11. (Optional) Add a small amount of ginger (1-2 Tbsp) to help you sweat out toxins.

  12. Swirl the water around to dissolve the salts.

  13. Soak for 20-45 minutes.

  14. Brush your skin again (in the same motion, from the outer limbs towards your heart), with the dry brush or just your hands.

  15. Apply a moisturizing lotion like shea butter or jojoba. (Or, for deluxe moisturization that also can be kind of messy, rub a mixture of olive and castor oils all over; stand there for two minutes, and then shower it off.)

  16. Drink lots of water—with lemon if you’ve got it. 

  17. Sleep like baby.

Read More
activism, feminism Gretchen Kalwinski activism, feminism Gretchen Kalwinski

Chicago Women's March

I was an organizer and board member for the 2017 Women’s March on Chicago. Here’s more info on that.


Women’s March, Organizer, Activist, Board Member;  Nov 2016-Sept 2018

In the week after the 2016 election, I was part of a core group of women who started organizing a Women’s March in Chicago, in the same spirit as the global marches planned for 1/21/17. Our individual reasons for organizing were varied, but we all believed that our basic rights were under attack and our most vulnerable citizens would need protection and assistance. For that reason, we decided that the best way to voice our outrage and show our might was to gather in the Chicago streets en masse. 

We started organically with a Facebook group, to voice our dissent and proclaim that “women’s rights are human rights”--that group grew to 10K within the first week. Our goal at Women’s March Chicago (WMC) was bringing together women and their allies in support of critical issues affecting women and girls including: equal rights; equal pay; reproductive justice; LGBTQ+ rights; immigrant rights; racial justice; affordable health care; voting rights; freedom from violence; access for persons with disabilities; mass incarceration; violence-free communities; climate change; gun violence prevention; and much more. 

(Jan 19, 2017). Women and children gathered at Greenhouse Loft, making signs for the coming weekend’s Chicago Women’s March on behalf of gender equality, human rights, and democracy. I spoke briefly at the event to give logistical info about the mar…

(Jan 19, 2017). Women and children gathered at Greenhouse Loft, making signs for the coming weekend’s Chicago Women’s March on behalf of gender equality, human rights, and democracy. I spoke briefly at the event to give logistical info about the march.

We soon moved our organizational efforts to Slack and started delegating and establishing teams, timelines and task lists. Once a core group of organizers was established, we began holding volunteer meetings, asking professional organizers for advice, meeting with the city to establish a permit, and creating partnerships & coalitions such as SEIU and the Lawyers Guild. 

I organized and spoke at volunteer meetings and marshal trainings (we trained over 350 marshals with SEIU). As a core organizer I was interviewed by the Chicago Tribune, early in the process of planning the March. Because I’ve written about Chicago’s Polish community, I also spoke to the Polish Daily News, emphasizing the Trump administration’s hateful rhetoric towards marginalized people, anti-immigrant stance, and the civil rights issues the administration represented. 

I also planned wrote and strategized website content, internal communications and marketing materials (newsletters, FAQ sheets, press releases, emails to volunteers, fundraising notes). I worked and spoke at volunteer recruiting events. 

Our work paid off: On January 21, 2017, 250K people (600K+ globally) came together in a peaceful march on Chicago’s streets. At that time, we had 43K in our Facebook group, 350 marshals, 150 additional volunteers, zero violence, access for 1,000 disabled persons (one of the most inclusive events ever held in Chicago), and not one blade of grass was damaged. 

Post-March, when we were trying to figure out how to mobilize our efforts and activate our huge numbers of attendees and Facebook group supporters, I joined the WMC board, and remained a board member until I moved to Los Angeles in fall of 2018. Through a series of collaborative board meetings and meetings facilitated by a nonprofit organizational expert, I helped to formulate an intersectional structure/mission of the new (501(c)3) organization. 

Since that time, the Chicago Marches have given individuals a space to make their voices heard, connect with like-minded people and inspire marchers to become activists in their own communities. Marches have continued in January 2018, October 2018 and January 2020. https://www.womensmarchchicago.org/

My husband and our musician/birder pal Scott Judd at marshal training in Chicago, January 2017.

My husband and our musician/birder pal Scott Judd at marshal training in Chicago, January 2017.

16113299_10154839062018467_1434731816791636378_o.jpg
16177514_10154840622268467_2939406964181637813_o.jpg
My group on the day of the march, with our names and lawyer’s numbers markered on our arms in case we ended up being arrested.

My group on the day of the march, with our names and lawyer’s numbers markered on our arms in case we ended up being arrested.

Read More
Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

Summer Perfume & Aromatherapy for Mosquito Magnets

7b9ef3cbbc6e446c-perfumesamples_June2015.jpg

Any other mosquito magnets out there? I've been researching what scents repel mosquitoes (apart from citronella). Turns out the varmints love florals but hate "green" smells, citrus, lavender, cedar. (They also hate bananas, so I'm taking blueberries in my cereal until October.) Since I love good smells so much, nixing perfume--or wearing Deep Woods OFF--all summer isn't an option for me, and I've been investigating non-floral scents, opting for woody/cedar-y, green, citrus, and lavender smells instead. Based on some internet research, I snagged appropriate samples from Nordstrom, along with some lemon oil and lavender body wipes. So far, this INCREDIBLE Aqua Di Parma scent makes me feel like I'm on the Italian Meditteranean with the Clooneys, and does seem to keep the critters at bay with its basil, cedar, and myrtle. The other two samples are Guerlain’s slightly more flowery Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca, hearkening an English garden with notes of lemon, spearmint, green tea, and cyclamen, and Guerlain's strong, fresh, Aqua Allegoria "Pamplelune" Eau de Toilette, with vibrant notes of citrus (grapefruit, bergamot, neroli, and with a base of vanilla and patchouli). 

And, for quick/easy application of lavender, I'm stocking great-smelling Herban Essentials towelletes in all my purses. 

I'll also be making an essential oil blend this week, using knowledge from my natural botanical perfumery class. Herbal blends are less effective and have to be applied more often, but it's worth it to not smell like the strong DEET repellents. If all of this sounds extreme, keep in mind that the critters throw a party when I step in the vicinity and start swaming around me immediately. If any other mosquito-magnets wanna try out my home-blend, let me know & I'll send a sample!

Read More
Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

Northwestern University: "Navigating Freelance Writing" panel 5/30/15

984ce272ca940206-BeyondGraduate_School_Flyer2015-page-001.jpg

On May 30, I'm on a Northwestern University panel: "Navigating Freelance Writing," from 11-11:50am, with Kevin Davis and Julianne Hill. Come to the event to hear advice from 3 versatile, in-the-mix freelancers; (bios are below.) Free advice, open to the public!

Kevin Davis is a freelance writer and journalist in Chicago and author of the nonfiction books The Wrong Man, (Avon) Defending the Damned, (Atria) and, forthcoming, The Brain Defense (The Penguin Press).

Freelancer Julianne Hill's nonfiction work has appeared in outlets including "This American Life," "Morning Edition," Chicago Public Radio, PBS, The History Channel, Real Simple, Health, The Round and Writer's Digest. Hill received an MFA in creative nonfiction from Northwestern University, which named her work Distinguished Thesis. An award-winning journalist for more than 30 years, Hill served as a Rosalynn Carter Fellow, awarded to journalists covering mental health, and was named a National Press Foundation Fellow, examining the issue of HIV/AIDS. She has taught journalism at Northwestern University, Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy and Loyola University Chicago.

Gretchen Kalwinski is a Chicago-based freelance writer. Her work has appeared in the Chicago Reader, Stop Smiling, Time Out Chicago, Make Literary Magazine, and Featherproof Books. Her clients have ranged from Crate and Barrel, Orbitz, Imagination Publishing, University of Chicago, and the American Library Association. Kalwinski has appeared as a panelist on WGN radio and Chicago Tonight, and was awarded a Ragdale artist residency in 2009. Currently, she’s editing novels for Curbside Press, ghostwriting an e-book for a startup, and writing travel stories. In 2014, she earned a M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Northwestern University. For more, see www.gretchenkalwinski.com.

Read More
Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

Instagramming Israel

f8a8be4c11bd2821-2015-05-02123412.jpg

I just took a big trip to Israel with 12 other writters/bloggers. I was the only Chicago writer and will be doing some stories about the visit in the months to come. In the meantime, I captioned my trip pretty thoroughly on Instagram, so here's that link. 

Read More
Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

Booty from Jaffa markets in Tel Aviv

01_947728b936cdaf9f-roses.jpg

Last week in Tel Aviv, I explored the markets in Old Jaffa. The olives and dried fruit made me drool, but it was overwhelming with so many to choose from. So, I confined my purchases to an olive sampling and some irresistable dried roses--that cost mere pennies--pictured below. They smelled divine, and now that they're smuggled home (Tel Aviv security either didn't see them rolled up in my t-shirt, or decided not to care), I'm not sure what to do with them, apart from making sachets for my lingerie, sock, and sweater drawers. I'm taking ideas!

02_ae9174d721db27cd-2015-04-30123148.jpg
03_91adb14c576621ba-2015-04-30140759.jpg
04_50d481ce1a683720-2015-04-30140013.jpg
Read More
Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

Custom Perfumer in Tel Aviv

I'm in Tel Aviv for a travel story, and went to this Jaffa perfumerie, Zielinski & Rozen, that offers custom-blended perfums based on not only your scent preferences, but also one's own personal scent and lifestyle--exactly the way I like to pick out scent. It's tucked away on a side street, (and basically doesn't advertise), so going inside feels like discovering a secret. The owner, Erez Rozen, compares building an individual scent to building a pyramid, using the traditional concepts of high, middle, and base notes. Apart from the Dead Sea and the desert fortress Masada, this was probably my favorite experience in Israel. 

01_adebc741d5a7710f-2015-04-30122250.jpg
02_8fe5f21c2bfbd738-2015-04-30122337.jpg
03_aeac8a7bb8f8d1ff-2015-04-30122342.jpg
04_492b1bc4e8b83ce4-2015-04-30122346.jpg
Read More
Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

Mud Baths in Calistoga, CA

I love spa treatments, and over the course of my life I've done a lot of unusual ones: Aromatherapy "color baths" with light lasers, a gong bath, cupping, a facial with a "tesla wand," high-end seaweed wrap, no-touch reiki massage, etc. But immersing in a 4-foot tub of volcanic-ash mud last week in Calistoga, CA was by far the oddest treatment I've ever undergone. Dr. Wilkinson's has been around for over 60 years, and the retro look and feel of the buildings and locker rooms doesn't hide this fact. 

Here's the procedure: You lock up your things, grab a bathrobe and are escorted by attendants (of your gender) into a large tiled room that has two large, rectangular tiled baths, mounted a few feet above floor level. They're filled with sulfuric-smelling "volcanic-ash" mud. THIS IS NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH. You strip down and the attendants assist you into the oozing, bubbling, stinky tubs, while reciting some science-y factoids to try and convince you that this is not the most disgusting thing that has ever happened to you.

 Sinking into the mud is not as easy as it sounds: It's very thick (and did I mention BUBBLING), and it takes about a minute to get yourself fully immersed, up to your neck. If you're me, this is where some mild panic sets in, (AS THE MUD SINKS INTO EVERY CORNER OF YOUR BODY). Your attendant then gives you a pillow to rest your head on, and places cucumbers over your eyes, and instructs you to relax for ten minutes (easy for her to say). Once the time is up, you are escorted out of the tub and proceed to take the most complete shower of your life. Next is the wet-sauna (the attedants hand you glasses of cucumber water through a little window), for another ten minutes. Then, you head to an old-fashioned clawfoot bathtub behind a curtain (in the same room), which is being pumped full of hot-spring water. Last, the attendants have you shower one last time, and lead you to a relaxation cube, where you're wrapped loosely in towels for ten more minutes, while your body temperature returns to normal. 

You can't take pics inside the spa of course, but my pal and I stayed in one of the cottages Dr. Wilkinson offers, and hit the outdoor tub later that night. And if you're curious about what the tubs look like, you can see images here.

The below pic is of a late-night moonlit tub, which we welcomed with some local CA bubbly. 

01_bc34a054851908be-2015-04-25205232.jpg
02_b3eec8af38121a96-IMG_0435.jpeg
Read More
Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

Natural Botanical Perfumery class at Chicago Botanic Gardens

I've taken soap- and candle-making classes at various organizations including Abbey Brown, and I'm also very interested in natural botanical perfumemaking. A year ago, I read a wonderful book about the history of NBP, Essence and Alchemy, by perfumer Mandy Aftelier. Among other things, it goes into the "primal" nature of scent, the history of perfume and why she chooses not to use synthetics (a unique perfumery choice.) 

Today's natural botanical perfumery class at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, taught by the talented and generous Jessica Hannah, (who has studied with Mandy and is influenced by her). I learned so much, and love the vetiver-heavy custom perfume I made today.  Jessica spoke passionately and emotionally about the proper and sustainable use of essential oils, and got me even more excited about delving into this world of NBP.  Now, I feel ready to make some blends of my own; starting with a mosquito-repelling blend (using things like cedar, lavender, citrus--all proven to repel the pests).

84274850fd8c08f9-IMG_0187.jpeg
2fe2ad8da04fa357-IMG_0185.jpg
Read More
Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

"My Writing Process" blog post

I was invited by the spectacular author/professor Goldie Goldbloom to participate in the "My Writing Process blog tour." You can read Goldie's entry here. Since I'm finishing my MFA thesis and completely reworking how I think about my writing, my processes have done a 180 in the past few months.

1)    What am I working on?

I’m in the last throes of completing my thesis for my MFA program at Northwestern University. After four years in the program, I’m ready to be done! It’s 150 pages--about 70 pages are short stories with an urban-decay setting and a magical-realism fairy-tale bent. The other 80 pages are an excerpt from my novel about a young woman who’s grown up at a radical flower farm commune founded by her parents.

2)    How does my work differ from others of its genre?

My work takes place in an urban, post-industrial setting but has this fairy-tale backdrop. I’ve been told that the combination of those two things is unusual, I think because most people don’t think of such a bleak setting providing a backdrop for magical elements. But I see the nature and potential for things like curses and spells to take place amidst factories and mills.

3)    Why do I write what I do?

The industrial landscape in this current work comes from my childhood in industrial Indiana, on the Chicago border. And I was a huge reader as a kid, devouring Grimm, folk tales, fables, and Biblical stories, so the writing that comes most naturally to me is basically an outgrowth of that.

4)    How does your writing process work?

I’ve learned a lot about “how I work,” in the past four years of grad school. I’ve gotten better about procrastination, which used to be a big problem, by doing Julia Cameron’s “morning pages” from The Artist’s Way. Doing the morning pages seems to clear out my mental clutter and get me ready to write the real stuff. I try to write daily, on the commute to my day job and it’s MUCH easier to get back into the work when I *am* writing daily.

I’ve also recently discovered Robert Olen Butler’s From Where You Dream, and the “dreamstorming” process detailed in that book has been helping me a lot lately. It’s best for bigger projects, like novels, and is a way to both inhabit the “dream space” of a novel, while also making big decisions that help move the story forward. (It seems I’m not the only one who gets paralyzed when it comes to making major decisions that affect the whole storyline...but if you don’t make those decisions, you wind up with competing or contradictory threads.)  Dreamstorming is a great way to address this: It helps you tap into the subconscious and figure out what the story is “about” but also rein things in enough so that the amount of rewriting you have to do is minimized. I'm just sad I didn't discover it sooner.

NEXT UP:

Mark Rader's first published story was about a spunky one-armed cave boy named Little Runner who saves his clan from a bear attack. It was in a kid's magazine when he was a kid. Now a grown man, Mark's stories have appeared in Glimmer TrainEpochLIT, and The Southern Review, and been short-listed for a Pushcart Prize, O. Henry Award, and inclusion in the Best American Non-Required Reading anthology. He holds an MFA from Cornell University and currently teaches creative writing part-time at the University of Chicago's Graham School. He has a number of long-in-the-making manuscripts nearly completed, he's pretty sure. Look for his post at: http://www.markrader.com/

Dana Norris is the founder of Story Club, a monthly storytelling show in Chicago, Boston, and Minneapolis.  She teaches at StoryStudio Chicago.  She has been published in McSweeney's Internet Tendency,  The Rumpus, the Tampa Review, and her stories have been featured on Chicago Public Radio.  You may see her upcoming performance schedule at dananorris.net, and she'll publish her post on her Facebook page. 

Read More
Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

EXPO Chicago last weekend

Visited EXPO Chicago last Sunday, and saw so much spectacular art, but these two pieces in particular have stayed with me. The first is from the Corbett Vs. Dempsey gallery (missed the artist's name) and the second is by Manuel Neri, via Hackett Mill gallery. Am utterly entranced by both.

201d24bec84dca25-corbett_dempsey_EXPO.jpg
95f33127e2ae827f-Neri_SMALL.jpg
Read More
Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

Writing from the Senses

1904475cc2d9a990-1575c3541d28a990senses_forblog_Web_Small.jpg

Just finished teaching my first multi-week class at Northwestern University’s Lifetime Learning Center. The class I designed was Writing from the Senses, so I spent 8 weeks leading students through sense-prompted writing exercises, class discussion and critique—all designed to improve their use of metaphor and help them write more vivid characters and descriptions. We discussed writers from Collette, Proust, and Hemingway to Aimee Bender, Sandra Cisneros, and Stuart Dybek. What a blast—I expect to be teaching variations of this course for years to come.

Read More
Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

Networking Across the City, Across Genres

Yesterday, I moderated a panel for Northwestern University's Career Day, titled "Networking Across the City, Across Genres." Krista Franklin, Mare Swallow, and David Welch were the (amazing) panelists and we spent a lively hour discussing:   

  • "Networking" as a dirty word

  • Attending readings and performances

  • Working with other kinds of creative artists

  • Chicago being a city of often divided neighborhoods, and breaking down some of those boundaries to participate in other lit communities besides our own

  • The Conference, founded by Mare, and how it brings people together

Career Day Schedule Flyer

Read More
Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

Artisanal Soapmaking Class

5d2b6c28090feba4-5094566080_a3b9587a45_z.jpg

Last week, I took a Soapmaking 101 class at Abbey Brown Soap Artisan.  The class covered the "Cold Process method of soapmaking wherein we will learn about lye safety, necessary equipment, vegetable and plant based oils, and essential oils for scenting bars naturally." It's a basic course that combines lectures, demonstration, and a hands-on portion in which students make three large batches of soap together. Each student comes away with handouts, a bar of olive soap, and the knowledge of how to make basic soaps safely. This last part was exciting to me because I'd wanted to make soaps for a long time but had been intimidated by the process of working with lye, which is extremely toxic. Now, though, I'm confident I can do this safely, and in my own kitchen. I also appreciated Deborah Kraemer's advice around sourcing oils (both essential and olive) and the strong emphasis on using the right ingredients to make products suitable for sensitive skin.

Read More
Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

The Next Big Thing blog chain

Writer and friend Colleen O'Brien recently tagged me in her post for The Next Big Thing, a blog chain in which writers interview themselves about a project-in-progress. Here are my answers to the ten questions.

c3a928e3f7988527-BirdeyeViewCairo.jpg
a72a10cadcc23d51-Cairo_welcome.jpg
26a8df9b82093add-commercialst_cairostorefronts.jpg
c0005cbf310c1cc3-fortdefiance_ohioriver.jpg

Writer and friend Colleen O'Brien recently tagged me in her post for The Next Big Thing, a blog chain in which writers interview themselves about a project-in-progress. Here are my answers to the ten questions.

Ten Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing:

What is your working title of your book (or story)? It's tentatively called "Ode to Purgatory," but the plot has shifted so much over the past eighteen months that I'm not sure the title even applies anymore. I still dig "Ode to Purgatory" on an objective level, though -- because it refers to the idea that "purgatory:" i.e., biding your time and carrying on while things aren't good, or you're not in a place where you want to be while you work to get to the other side--the working and waiting and figuring out--is actually a gift. It's the opposite of immediate gratification. And whatever else this story is or isn't, I'm pretty sure that at it's core, it's still about that.

Where did the idea come from for the book? The story idea came straight from setting, and the setting came from a barista in a Chicago bakery I frequented years ago. The bakery itself had meaning for me; it was a Polish one my family had gone to for decades and it was newly gentrified. The barista was talking about this small ghost town in southern Illinois he'd visited the past weekend. He described the town as feeling medieval because it had levees and floodgates completely surrounding it. I immediately went to work and Googled it. My fascination was because it was so perfectly in sync with things I wanted to explore about my own hometown, an Indiana rustbelt town bordering Chicago but psychologically isolated and worlds away from the arts, culture, and beauty I craved. I soon learned he'd been talking about Cairo, on the very tip of the southern Illinois peninsula, and the story just cracked open from there.

What genre does your book fall under? Literary fiction. At least I hope. During the rough draft phase, let's just say my writing is REALLY rough, and in those moments it feels like bad children's literature. But then, I dig into the language, explore metaphor and hone my dialogue and it does get much better with each draft.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Honestly, it feels like jumping the gun/ jinxing the project to even consider this. I'm 90 pages into the story and still learning about the characters.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? A young woman with a singular sense of smell begins to suspect an ecological disaster is headed for her southern Illinois commune.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?  I'm still deeply engaged in the creative process, so I don't want to make the mistake of thinking too much about the audience or marketing, rather than the work itself. That said, I imagine it ending up with a small-to-mid-size publisher who'll see my vision and let me use an illustrator I love. Maybe someplace like Akashic Books? Back Bay Books? Curbside Press? Featherproof Books? Dzanc Books/Other Voices? Verse Chorus Press? Chiasmus Press? Red Hen Press? But, you know, if Random House or Penguin came knocking, and wanted to have a conversation, I'd entertain that. I plan on scoping out small presses at this year's AWP Conference in Boston.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? I've been working on this for the past 2 years, (since Winter 2011), but honestly, much of that time has just been making mistakes, exploring, figuring out how to take on such a huge project in the first place. It's only in the past 6 months that I've laid out a solid outline of the project, gotten serious about mapping my setting, etc. I'm working steadily on it now, and plan to have a full first draft by June 2013, which means writing about 4 pages per day for the next four months.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? I AM VERY UNCOMFORTABLE PUTTING THE BELOW BOOKS IN THE SAME PARAGRAPH WITH MY STORY. That said, Marilynne Robinson's Housekeeping is a gorgeous novel that I admire deeply and that story also has a female protagonist seeking to escape an isolated, stifling landscape. Also,  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Kate Chopin's The Awakening, for the coming-of-age aspects of those novels. And, people who know the plot of my story say I should check out Arcadia, a commune-centric novel by Lauren Groff.

Who or what inspired you to write this book? I had a story I wanted to tell about overcoming inertia to leave behind the worlds you've known, propelling yourself into unknown arenas, and discovering your community, all things I relate to as a result of growing up as an awkward, self-conscious/shy, secretly bookish person in the industrial, sports-crazed, non-arts-friendly town where I was raised.

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest? Since the story is set on a radical flower farm that produces essential oils and natural botanical perfumes, I'm having a great time exploring and writing about those interests. I don't think I'm alone in being fascinated by the sense of smell and how it affects our memories and experiences. Also, Cairo itself is so fascinating. It's a ghost town now, (see above photos), but it's loaded with rich, historical details. It was an important Civil War location, and it was supposed to become a metropolis in the early 1900s. But it never really resolved its post-Civil War racial issues, and now it's crumbling and decrepit, with a population under 3,000. What's bizarre, though, is that a huge percentage of the town is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next up, (in alphabetical order):

Mairead Case is a Chicago-based writer, editor, teacher, and grad student with recent work in The Unified Field and at Bright Stupid Confetti.

Nashville-based Todd Dills is the author of the 'Triumph of the Ape' (2012) collection of shorts and the 'Sons of the Rapture' (2006) novel, and he edits and publishes THE2NDHAND online magazine.

Susannah Felts is a fiction writer, freelance writer, teacher, and the author of one novel, This Will Go Down on Your Permanent Record (Featherproof Books, 2008). She was awarded the Tennessee Arts Commission's Individual Artist Fellowship in Fiction for FY2013, and was named a Tennessee Williams Scholar at the Sewanee Writers' Conference, 2012. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and daughter.

Rob Funderburk is a visual artist in Chicago. His work extends from gestural sketch illustration to large site-specific installations, art prints, and publication design.

Megan Stielstra is the author of Everyone Remain Calm, a story collection, and the Lit Director of Chicago's 2nd Story storytelling series.

Read More
Gretchen Kalwinski Gretchen Kalwinski

"Mapping" a fictional place

cf89be21bbc56623-novelmaps.jpg

I'm in the process of writing my first novel and it's...daunting. I've never embarked on such a large work and it's taking much more time than I anticipated to figure out how anyone goes about getting started. Beyond simply considering, "what's the story and who are the characters?,"  and "Am I a writer who creates detailed outlines or shoots from the hip?," my professor has REALLY been stressing the importance of place/setting. Luckily, the novel I'm writing about a town on the southernmost tip of Illinois, (where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers meet), originated by my fascination with that location, but Goldie Goldbloom has been pressing me to work with that in a much more detailed, thought-out way.

For example, Goldie has tasked me with making an uber-detailed map of my novel's landscape. Not just the simple geography, but also the more "micro" locations in the story where my characters spend time -- interiors of houses, backyards, fields, Main Streets, bridges, etc. Beyond creating maps, Goldie recommends that we find images of our setting and pin them up at our writing desk, and listen to music relevant to the story's timeline and setting,  to get even more engrossed in our stories. Full and complete immersion in story and place, in other words. These things might sound small, or obvious, but they're not, they're huge. After starting these practices, I've begun to feel much more oriented in my story. And I think readers can tell when the writer has a concrete sense of their setting; i.e., "authorial confidence." (Still, if anyone has any idea of what people in southern Illinois might've been listening to in the early 1970s and early 1990s, help a lady out.) 

Read More