The Maine Crime Writers
Author Archives: Brenda Buchanan
I’m Talking Cars Again
It has been a week, hasn’t it? On Monday, focus was a struggle. By Tuesday it was close to impossible. Now it’s Wednesday, and I think the wisest course is for me to revive a favorite post from the past. … Continue reading
Until We Meet Again . . .
Seven months into the pandemic, we’ve become pretty darned good at adapting, haven’t we? We see our friends and family at carefully choreographed, socially-distanced deck visits. We think ahead about the weekend’s menu and place online orders on Thursday night … Continue reading
My Thoughts Are Like Sanderlings, Redux
In early April, when our awareness of the pandemic was still new, I wrote a post consisting of a series of random thoughts. I thought about that post last Sunday while walking the beach late in the afternoon, studying the … Continue reading
Posted in Brenda's Posts, Uncategorized
Tagged labor day, Maine, Reading, sea roses, summer, tomatoes, Vote
5 Comments
A Trove of Garden Insight from Katharine White
We’re spending some time in Brooklin this month, where I lived for a while in the early 90s and to which I have returned most every summer since, at least for a few days. Regular readers of this blog likely … Continue reading
Posted in Brenda's Posts, Uncategorized
Tagged Brooklin, Friend Memorial Library, gardening, Katharine S. White, Onward and Upward
4 Comments
Maine Librarians Can!
This will go down in history as the summer of can’t. Can’t experience the anticipatory happiness of hearing musicians tuning up to play a concerto. Can’t applaud as the Pride or Independence Day parade marches by. Can’t take in a … Continue reading
Helping With Hunger During the Pandemic
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is, in a word, overwhelming. The scale of our collective loss–especially of lost lives–is so enormous it’s hard to comprehend. Uncertainty about the future affects our mood, our sleep, our plans, our worldview. Still, … Continue reading
My Thoughts Are Like Sanderlings
During this trying time my brain frequently skitters from thought to thought in approximately the same manner as this flock of sanderlings feeding along the line of an incoming tide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh71ExBEXfI The best I can do under the circumstances is … Continue reading
Posted in Brenda's Posts, Uncategorized
Tagged Beach walks, heroes, Maine CDC, Pandemic, sanderlings
2 Comments
PLEASE DON’T HATE ME, BUT I GOT A BOOK DEAL AND QUIT MY DAY JOB: A GUEST POST BY REGAN ROSE
I’m delighted to welcome Regan Rose to MCW today, who has thrilling news to share. Like me, Regan juggled writing with her work as a Portland lawyer until last fall, when her life took a sharp turn in a happy … Continue reading
Posted in Brenda's Posts, Guest Blog, Uncategorized
Tagged day job, debut novel, dreams, hard work, Regan Rose, success
22 Comments
Hacking Winter
Life Hack (noun) : Definition of life hack informal : a usually simple and clever tip or technique for accomplishing some familiar task more easily and efficiently – Merriam-Webster Dictionary. We didn’t use the term “life hack” when I was … Continue reading
Charlene D’Avanzo 
Lea Wait/Cornelia Kidd