Author Archives: Monica Spigelman

Writing, a Cultural Focus

For more than four years I have been managing editor of an e-Journal called BorderLore, produced by the Southwest Folklife Alliance. All editions have a themed cultural focus — with stories, references and images emerging from the theme. It is … Continue reading

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Grandma’s Story, Silk Throwing in Calabria

My story appeared in Taproot Magazine, Issue 8, Reclaim. I am so grateful to this publication — a magazine and community that have warmed my spirit. The writing process was influential in helping me explore my roots in the province … Continue reading

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Paper & Thread: Japanese Tradition in Tucson, May 15

Beautiful Fukumi wraps her temari thread balls in the traditions of her ancestors, in an art so vibrant with symbolism and beauty. Fukumi learned the traditional arts from her grandmother, who owned a textile factory in Japan. Fukumi’s favorite temari … Continue reading

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Writing online, seriously

Our obsession with online is disrupting journalism again and again. With everyone reading these days via smartphone or tablet (one in three minutes online is now spent on mobile devices), we writers wonder how best to write for the web. … Continue reading

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Writer Resources: Curate Content & More

Winter rains have reached our desert, invigorating our plants,  sustaining our wildlife, and greening our mountains. Tucson is refreshed! It’s also a busy writing time in Tucson, with Gem Show and Rodeo fever upon us. It’s time to sharpen skills … Continue reading

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I Am Tucson, So Are You

The joyful mosaic nearby the historic Charles Brown House in Downtown Tucson challenges all of us to reclaim our own definition of civic engagement. How do you actively participate in your city? How are you Tucson, too? Immersion is a … Continue reading

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In Tucson, Remembrance Lives On

Tonight, in Tucson, be prepared for oddly-adorned participants who walk in reverence and celebration.It’s a special night in Tucson, our All Souls Procession. The Procession whispers of ancient times and celebrates a cycle of life and death in a Fall … Continue reading

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Tucson writer re-learns the art of cursive

I am a writer without her keyboard tools these days. After one of Tucson’s wonderful monsoons, I was walking and paying attention to the refreshed desert (not my footing). I took a nasty tumble on a steep hill covered in … Continue reading

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Tucson Writers of Folklore, A Field School Experience

I completed my first field school! It’s part of my journey to rediscover my ancestry and my connections to Italian sericulture (silk throwing) traditions.  The field school was an academic and creative writing experience — a  process challenging me and … Continue reading

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Random Writing, 2008, True Today

“Take your needle, my child, and work at your pattern — it will come out a rose by and by. Life is like that . . . one stitch at a time, taken patiently.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes Oh, how … Continue reading

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