Laraine Herring Knihy

A ghost is not what you think it is, says Raven. A ghost is a commitment. When Laraine Herring receives an unexpected colon cancer diagnosis, her father, thirty years dead, returns to her as a raven, setting off a magical journey into complicated grief, inherited trauma, and ancestral healing. As she struggles with redefining her expectations for her life, she slips further and further underground into the ancestral realm, where she finds herself writing a play directed by her father-as-raven. Raven says, It will be a cast of only four: you and me and my mother and my father, and we will speak until there are no more words between us. And then you can decide the ending. Tick, tock, write.A Constellation of Ghosts takes the reader into the liminal spaces between one world and another, where choices unspool into lives, and the stories we've told ourselves fall apart under the scrutiny of multiple perspectives like flesh from bone, reminding us that grief is the unexpected ferryman who can usher all of us back together again.

Set in the haunting landscape of Alderman, North Carolina, the story explores the complex relationships between three women across generations. Fourteen-year-old Lillian Green's silence about a traumatic event awakens the ghost of Roberta du Bois, a former plantation mistress. Their bond, steeped in shame and loneliness, deepens when Lillian's daughter, Hannah, uncovers her own talent and Roberta's presence. As family secrets and societal issues of racism and loyalty emerge, the intertwined fates of these women lead to inevitable revelations and consequences.

In this distinctive guide to the craft of writing, author Laraine Herring shows us how to tune into our bodies and connect with our emotions so that our writing becomes an expression of our full beings, rather than just an intellectual exercise. With warmth and wisdom, Herring offers a path to discovering "deep writing"—prose that is unique, expressive, and profoundly authentic. Lessons and imaginative exercises show you how stay with your writing when your mind or body starts to pull you away; explore the five senses in your writing; and approach your writing without judgment.Writing Begins with the Breath will open up a whole world of creativity for people who may not have considered themselves writers before, while also providing keen insights into the craft for seasoned writers.

All writers are faced at some point with feelings of self-consciousness and self-doubt about their work. In this invaluable guide, Laraine Herring offers advice to writers who want to become more comfortable with their writing, face their inhibitions, and gain the confidence to release their true voice. Utilizing the breath, a vigorous movement practice designed to break up stagnation with the body and the mind, and writing exercises aimed both at self-exploration and developing works-in-progress, Herring offers a clear path to writing through illusion. Learn how to remove obstacles in your writing and develop techniques to help you relax into your own voice; discover ways to enter into a compassionate, non-judgmental relationship with yourself so that you can write safely and authentically from a place of absolute vulnerability; and discover the interconnectedness of your personal writing process and the community as a whole. The Writing Warrior will not only help you find ways to develop your writing, but also ways to develop yourself.

Exploring the transformative potential of writer's block, this book offers a refreshing approach for writers facing challenges in the middle of their projects. The author, known for "Writing Begins with the Breath," presents an empowering process that encourages embracing obstacles as valuable teachers. By reframing struggles as opportunities for growth, writers can navigate their creative journeys with renewed insight and resilience.