General Archives - Page 45 of 84 - Ellen Morris Prewitt

Trusting in Life

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on May 23, 2016. Posted in General, GOD. No Comments on Trusting in Life

The retreat had not yet begun. I was walking beneath the live oaks, crossing from the dorm room I would share with my cousin and aunt to the building where we would practice restorative yoga for two days. The gulf breeze gently blew, and shadows danced on the St. Augustine lawn. I halted, gazing at the slip of blue sky peeking through the mossy...

Prayer, A Rule of Thumb

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on May 9, 2016. Posted in General, GOD, HOMELESSNESS. 2 Comments on Prayer, A Rule of Thumb

A while back, I conducted a workshop where I took my writing mentor Rebecca McClanahan‘s book Write Your Heart Out and translated the types of nonfiction writing into types of prayer. I don’t remember all the parallels (writing from joy, for example, became adoration or praise prayer.) I’ve been thinking about this as I make...

What I Love about My Life in Memphis

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on May 3, 2016. Posted in General, LOVE. 2 Comments on What I Love about My Life in Memphis

I live in Memphis on an island with wild edges and a dog who loves them as much as I do. I have a wood-burning fireplace in my house. I go to St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral where the Dean stands up in the pulpit and preaches the most unsettling, Holy truths, in a caring, loving way. I can walk to the grocery store. I can walk to the coffee shop....

June: Not a Sentimental Person

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on May 2, 2016. Posted in General, GOD, HOMELESSNESS, Writing. 12 Comments on June: Not a Sentimental Person

Many years ago, when I was letting the Spirit lead me around by the nose, I went to Door of Hope and asked if I could start a writing group for men and women living on the street. Dr. June Mann Averyt, the founder and then Executive Director of Door of Hope, watched me toddle through the door in my high heels and said, “What the hell—go...

Who’s Threatening the Grapes?

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on April 17, 2016. Posted in General, Writing. No Comments on Who’s Threatening the Grapes?

Why do the grapes need protecting? I’m talking about it on the website. Yes, I mean literally talking. Go to the Home Page and listen to the front porch moment. Then listen to “Drunk at the Foodland Again” at STORIES. You’ll learn the answer as told to you in my voice. My Very Southern Voice. ?

Trust the River

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on April 5, 2016. Posted in General, HOMELESSNESS, Writing. 2 Comments on Trust the River

I arrived at a certain point in the writing of Jazzy and the Pirate that felt like a period. An ending about to soar to a new beginning. Exciting, but also a bit daunting. I needed a break. How does a writer take a break? Revise a different novel, of course. Don’t worry. I’m not abandoning Jazzy. I’m simply letting my mind focus...

Constructing Life

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on April 4, 2016. Posted in General, LOVE. No Comments on Constructing Life

The boss man wasn’t there today. That’s what the worker told me, standing in the great room of our half-finished house. He was sanding. I was inspecting. He thought the homeowners might want to talk to the boss. I wanted to talk to him, the man guiding the sanding machine, the one who would rub the stain on the floor. The man who...

The Dog’s Happiness

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on March 19, 2016. Posted in General, Writing. 9 Comments on The Dog’s Happiness

I think I’ve found the key to happiness. All I have to do is ask, did the dog have a good day? If the answer is yes, life is moving in the right direction. Think about it. What Evangeline loves more than anything is going for a walk. The walk takes me outside in the fresh air (does that sound like your mom–“go get some fresh...

The Path Less-Traveled

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on March 5, 2016. Posted in General, LOVE. 13 Comments on The Path Less-Traveled

We were tramping through Couturie Forest in City Park along the well-mulched trails, and I noticed an option. The Couturie Forest contains the highest point in New Orleans, Laborde Lookout. The mountain—their words, not mine—measures a daunting 43 feet above sea level (or 53 feet, according to some sources, or 46 feet above a 3 feet-below-sea-level...

Building a Narrative

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 27, 2016. Posted in General, Writing. 8 Comments on Building a Narrative

I’m building a house on narrative. No, seriously. We are building a beach house in Waveland, Mississippi, and when the time comes for a decision, I ask myself, what’s the story of these people who built this house? It’s not my story. It’s the story of the people who lived in Mississippi in the 1940s and built a house for...