Transitional Objects, 2026

Tomorrow marks four weeks since I learned—in a Facebook message—that my brother-in-law Keith had died.

In the weeks since, I’ve written four pieces tracing what happened next when I asked for help: from the distant relative who shared the news, to the apartment manager who salvaged what remained of Keith’s belongings after a small fire and flooding.

What started as a request for photographs and Polaroids—items for a memorial—became something more. In searching for images, I found myself writing a eulogy and gathering memories from friends and colleagues. And in the exhaustion of grief, I began to look more closely at my own relationship with Keith’s brother, my husband, Fran.

This is the most I’ve written in years. It feels like the beginning of something more: a collection about home, connection, and what we do with loss. To be continued …
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Google doc of all 4 “essays”

My original MFA in creative writing thesis from 2004, entitled, “Transitional Objects.”
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