I sometimes think I never wanted kids because, somewhere in the pre-teen core of me, I knew I was a person whose need for solitude was great. Feeling guilty about wanting to […]
On the Need for Solitude
Katie Riegel
Poet, writer, mentor, workshop leader, teacher.
A Quiet Passion
I saw A Quiet Passion, the 2017 movie about Emily Dickinson (directed by Terence Davies, starring Cynthia Nixon) this month. I’m not a movie critic, but I am a poet and a […]
An informal review of Matt Haig’s book _Reasons to Stay Alive_
So I finally got around to reading Matt Haig’s Reasons to Stay Alive. I follow him on Twitter, and a friend sent me a couple of quotes from him at important moments. […]
Why I Can’t Just Turn Off the News
“Tell everyone on this train I love them.” —Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, 23 I want to turn off the news. As someone who struggles with depression and anxiety, I need to turn […]
Moving: A Photo Essay
Snow White
Hi friends– I’m excited to share my poem, “Snow White,” from the current issue of Orion Magazine. It’s an absolutely stunning issue, and those of you who care about nature and the […]
The Problem of Suffering
I’ve been concerned about suffering since I was eight, and I went to a friend’s Baptist church with her. They had fun games about remembering things from the Bible, and—always the showoff […]
Sirens Redux: Five Reasons to Kiss My Gynecologist
Sometimes you read something you wrote four years ago and think, “I wrote that? And I published it?” Well, honey, (as they say here in the mid-South)—yes, yes I did. It was […]
Writers and Meditation
I gave this talk as part of a panel with Casey Clague at the Gulf Coast Association of Creative Writing Teachers conference a couple of weeks ago, so forgive the speech-like feel. […]
Meditation Monday: Interview with Taryn Prescott
My former student and beautiful writer, Taryn, on meditation in her life. Enjoy! –Katie When and why did you start meditating? – I didn’t start meditating earnestly until I was probably […]
The Gloria Sirens 