20 Ways to Confront Loneliness with Local Stories
If we want to move beyond our social silos, we have to take a risk. We have to let down our guard and get close enough to recognize specific
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Writing
Stories, musings and poems.
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Joseph R. Goodall
- Jun 21
- 4 min
Facing Conflict with Creativity
Discovering the freeing power of poetry in the midst of relational conflict.
30
Joseph R. Goodall
- Apr 28
- 3 min
A Third Birthday Tribute
This week What the Bird Sees in Flight turned THREE! I'm proud to celebrate this work of historical fiction, and recognize that it's also...
17
Joseph R. Goodall
- Mar 3
- 1 min
An Inquiry in Times of Change
When we are faced with the decision of what to do now, what questions do we ask? How do we offer and express ourselves?
39
Joseph R. Goodall
- Jan 1
- 4 min
We Make, We Observe
I know precious little about seeds. But I’m learning to identify the wild plants growing in the open field that stretches between the...
27
Joseph R. Goodall
- Nov 15, 2023
- 2 min
A Galaxy of Good
There’s a galaxy of good in your existence Though terror persists and hope seems hidden There are beautiful patterns aloft in the sky...
22
Joseph R. Goodall
- Jul 24, 2023
- 4 min
Who Wore It Better: Barbie or Margaret?
Forget "Barbenheimer." There was a different movie mashup on my mind this past weekend: "Bargaret." Or "Margarbie?" Regardless of the...
54
Joseph R. Goodall
- Jun 21, 2023
- 8 min
Blended Together: On Building Soil and Local Community
The dark gray sky warned of an approaching storm as I drove into the small parking lot sheltered by moss-laden trees. The humid summer...
52
Joseph R. Goodall
- May 3, 2023
- 7 min
Imperfect, In Progress
Twice over the past several weeks, I have found myself in front of a room of several dozen people, facing a microphone and an audience...
45
Joseph R. Goodall
- Mar 14, 2023
- 4 min
All Under One Roof
Oftentimes the formative places of our youth shrink as we get older, dimming like a shadow compared to the prestige of their rose-tinted...
37
Joseph R. Goodall
- Feb 11, 2023
- 6 min
Close Enough to Be Unavoidable
I was in a hurry when I drove past my next-door neighbor's house early Monday morning on my way to work. If I'd been walking, I would...
335
Joseph R. Goodall
- Dec 18, 2022
- 1 min
The Story Isn't Over Yet
The past month has been a low point in the ebb and flow of my creativity. I’ve felt like giving up on my next book, even though it’s...
27
Joseph R. Goodall
- Nov 6, 2022
- 2 min
Not By Bread Alone
Though no one wants to go to bed on an empty stomach, how many of us would find our days fulfilling if we merely woke up, ate three...
22
Joseph R. Goodall
- May 30, 2022
- 2 min
A Tapestry Spanning All Time
The vines are anchored to the tree are great, hairy, bulging ropes, winding up the rough bark like parasitic leeches. Wrapped in the...
16
Joseph R. Goodall
- Sep 10, 2021
- 3 min
Screens, Screening, Screened
Screens Many days are spent looking at screens Information, plans, stories and advertisements projected onto backlit rectangles Formatted...
42
Joseph R. Goodall
- Aug 6, 2021
- 5 min
Going "Home"
Going home can stir up a strange mix of affection and anxiety, bringing to mind memories both fond and painful. We revisit the person,...
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Joseph R. Goodall
- May 9, 2021
- 5 min
How Short Stories Can Teach Us to Be Present
The other day I was stuck in a long, unmoving line at the neighborhood post office. I debated leaving and trying my luck another day, but...
20
Joseph R. Goodall
- Feb 16, 2021
- 7 min
The Weight of a Single Word: Black American Stories
Storytelling is one of the most empowering acts in the human experience. A storyteller has the ability to uniquely curate each piece of...
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Joseph R. Goodall
- Jan 16, 2021
- 4 min
The Humanizing Effect
I feel a great draw to understand the “why” behind the emotions and decisions of people around me, to “humanize” them. Sometimes it’s...
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