Heart and Understanding: Adopting a Foreign Culture as a Writer
My son Brendan is a missionary in Peru. He and his wife and children live high in the Andes among the Quechua people. He uses the Quechua language daily, as well as Spanish. Brendan and his family eat the foods of the region (including guinea pig) and are observant of...Machu Picchu: Visiting It Again As I Scroll Through Photos
It’s a wet, cold March in Tacoma, and I’m thinking back on January, when I was in Peru, loving every moment of the equatorial sunshine. Rory and I went to Peru to visit my son Brendan and his family. This was our sixth trip to Peru, but on previous trips...A New Life, New Joy in Peru
Our family has expanded again! On November 9, 2016 Joel Archer Connally was born in Curahuasi, Peru. Our new grandson weighed eight-and-a-half pounds at birth and has been growing exponentially since then. He is strong and happy, with beautiful resemblances to both...A Part of My Heart is in the Mountains of Peru
This is the text of an article I wrote for Tacoma’s News Tribune, published on July 27, 2015. Six years ago my son Brendan and his wife Erin moved to Andean Peru as missionaries, beginning a relationship with the Quechua people. Making this kind of commitment...
Welcome!
I am a writer who loves good music and good stories. It’s been my privilege to combine these loves by writing fiction that honors the creation of beauty, even in the bleakest of circumstances, through the creation of music. Writing has also led me to a deep interest in the recent history of central and eastern Europe.
Come and explore with me!