MacArthur Foundation Award Fellow: Shannon Lee Dawdy, anthropologist

For the first time I know a MacArthur Foundation Award fellow. Well, almost–by only two degrees of separation. Shannon Lee Dawdy–daughter of my good writing friend Arletta Dawdy–is now one of the distinguished MacArthur Fellows. Shannon, 43, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Chicago. Shannon’s work in “anthropology combined…

Mothers: “No, Jesus, You Can’t Use the Donkey Tonight,” by Arletta Dawdy

I’ve known Arletta Dawdy for a long time now since we’re both members of Women Writing the West. She lived (and still does) in Santa Rosa when I lived in Lake County, California. Not an insurmountable drive over the mountains which we both made, gladly. When I pressed Arletta to send me her bio (that…

Riehlife Poem-of-the-Day: “Clara’s Air,” by Arletta Dawdy

Arletta Dawdy and I both belong to Women Writing the West. We became writing friends when we both lived in Northern California. My flash fiction piece “Triptych: Jeweled Bones” (in 3 parts) inspired her to write “Clara’s Air.” She sat down before bed and dashed off the story of Clara’s Air which captures an era,…

“WHITE GIRL, BLACK HEART: SUMMER ‘59,” a short story-poem by Arletta Dawdy tells of coming of age, reaching and rocking across cultures

In “White Girl, Black Heart: summer ’59” Arletta Dawdy deals with the doubts and misgivings that concerned her going in her first Sunday service at a Black Church. “Believe me it was a “moving” experience as the church rocked! This was Lincoln Avenue Methodist Church in Pasadena and the preacher was a wise man, an…