God walks out of the room when you’re thinking about money. –Quincy Jones I think a lot about mattering. Do I matter, how can I help other people know that they matter, […]
On Mattering
4 Shows to Watch When You’re Depressed
First I thought of the title of this post, because when I’m depressed, I find myself binge-watching shows on streaming tv. Then I listed the shows I wanted to talk about, and […]
An Ordinary Life
To be happy, I need to hold on to the thought that I am ordinary. It sounds wrong, I know, when everything tells us to be extraordinary, when everything we aspire to […]
Woman’s Meditation on Taking Down the Christmas Tree
The boxes, stacked in the garage, seem new to me, plastic with clip-lock lids, but we’ve had them for years. They’re dusty and drizzled by Floridian garage-fawna. They don’t look like the […]
The Dog Park
Savvy begins to bark before I even have my tennis shoes all the way on. She’s excited! We’re going to the dog park! Hurry up! Time for a walk! It drives my […]
Counting on One Hand
I always used to pride myself on being the kind of person who does not attract trouble. My three brothers were in hot water routinely for things I got away with, clean […]
Can You Make Art and a Living Too?
Recently one of my advanced creative writing students and I struck up an email conversation about how the question, “What will you do with an English degree?” is an especially hard one […]
Charlie Rose and #MeToo
–a guest post by Janna Benge Charlie Rose? My head is reeling. The “Me Too” movement is engulfing men I have looked up to as leaders in their fields. Every new instance […]
Speaking Out about Doctors Assaulting Patients #MeToo
“Dear Ms. Gilman,
Thank you for submitting your complaint [to the Florida Dept. of Health Bureau of Enforcement].
We have determined from our review that although the behavior you described is unacceptable, it is not a violation of the laws or rules that regulate the healthcare practitioner’s profession. Therefore, we can take no further action.
Florida law requires that all information in this complaint remain confidential…”
“Fall,” a poem by Orlando Poet Laureate Susan Lilley
Here at The Gloria Sirens, we’re thrilled to share that our own Siren Susan Lilley has been chosen as the first Poet Laureate of Orlando, Florida. Here’s one of her gorgeous poems; […]
The Gloria Sirens 