I’m Lory — known to some from my former blog, The Emerald City Book Review. You can find out more about what the Enchanted Castle means to me here.
I live with my family in the beautiful Bernese Jura region of Switzerland, where I work part-time in a residential home for adults with developmental disabilities. I also maintain the odd job doing book design, editing, and proofreading, and teaching English to adults.
I recently completed a training in spiritual direction and welcome seekers who are looking for a listening space to share their spiritual journey.
Besides reading and writing, I enjoy fiber crafts (spinning and knitting); music, especially choral singing; and hiking in the mountains.
My book When Fragments Make a Whole: A Personal Journey Through Healing Stories in the Bible was published in 2024 by Floris Books. My writing has appeared in a variety of print and online publications, listed below.
Welcome! I look forward to meeting you.
Most recent publications:
- “Peace in Stillness” – essay in the Upper Room Daily Devotional
- “Losing My Language, Finding My Voice” – essay in Author Magazine
- “An Unexpected Journey” – essay in Authors Publish Magazine
- Review of The Release in Vita Poetica – plus podcast recording
- “Sacra Conversazione” – poem in Amethyst Review
Lory’s published writing
Essays
- “Embodied in Air,” essay in Parabola (print only)
- “Knitting a Life Together,” essay in Interweave Knits (print only)
- “Sacred Movement,” “Baking Day,” “Spinning Straw into Gold,” essays in LILIPOH
- “Beyond the Happy Ending,” essay in Enchanted Conversation
- “Spinning a Tale,” essay in Cabinet des Fees
- “Learning to Spin, Take Two,” article in Spinning Daily (no longer available)
- “Magic of Our Hands,” article in The Wheel (print only)
- “World Beyond Words,” essay in Red Letter Christians
- “Seeking the Honey of Life,” essay in Kosmos Journal
- “About the podcast ‘The Light in Every Thing’ ” – post on the Christian Community Seminary blog
- “The Fire of Love” – essay in Christian Community Perspectives (print only)
- “Name Calling” – essay in Braided Way Magazine
- “7 Ways Blogging Helped My Writing” – essay in Authors Publish Magazine
- “A Cosmic Twist” – essay in Kosmos Journal
- “Why it’s important to read to our teenagers aloud” – essay in Motherwell Magazine
- “A Title Is Born” – essay in Authors Publish Magazine
- “Relearning the Alphabet” – reprint of “Embodied in Air,” in Braided Way
- “Is an Un-publishable Book Worth Writing?” – essay in Authors Publish Magazine
- “Weaving Lessons” – essay in BioStories
- “To the Mountains” – essay in Pensive
- “Weaving a Fabric of Connection” – essay in Handwoven (print only)
- “I Am the Stone” – essay in New View (print only)
- “Peace in Stillness” – essay in the Upper Room Daily Devotional
- “Losing My Language, Finding My Voice” – essay in Author Magazine
- “An Unexpected Journey” – essay in Authors Publish Magazine
- “Mystery Madonna” – essay in Braided Way (forthcoming)
Book Reviews
- Review of The Sixth Extinction in Ruminate: The Waking
- Review of Nervous in Vita Poetica – plus podcast recording
- Review of Life After Doom in Vita Poetica – plus podcast recording
- Review of The Release in Vita Poetica – plus podcast recording
- Numerous book reviews for Shiny New Books
- Former book and music reviewer for The Green Man Review
Poems
- “Talitha, Koum,” poem in Christian Community Perspectives (print only)
- Five poems in Agape Review
- “Opening a Pomegranate” – poem in Untold Volumes
- Three poems in Soul Forte
- “What the Rich Young Man Said” and “Advent/Lent” – Two poems in Kosmeo Magazine
- “Geode” – poem in Ekstasis
- “To Speak” and “Time Change” – poems in Amethyst Review
- “Mother” – a poem in The Way Back To Ourselves, reprinted in Verse-Virtual
- A Poem’s Not a Thing” and “A Story,” – two poems in Time of Singing (print only)
- “Reunion” – prose poem in Verse-Virtual
- “Annunciation” – poem in Solum Journal
- “Caught” – poem in Heart of Flesh Literary Journal, reprinted in Radix Magazine
- “St. John’s Fire” – poem in Anglican Theological Review (print only)
- “Witness” – poem in Verse-Virtual
- “Announcement” – poem in Reformed Journal. Also read on the Reformed Journal Podcast.
- “Advent” and “Labyrinth” – poems in Amethyst Review
- “we cover up the roots” – poem in Poetry Breakfast
- Untitled poem (“It’s like”) – poem in The Windhover (print only, link to sample)
- “In a Garden” – poem in Thin Places and Sacred Spaces anthology from Amethyst Press
- “Sacra Conversazione” – poem in Amethyst Review
Prizes and Nominations
- Honorable mention, Helen Schaible International Sonnet Contest for “St. John’s Fire”
- Pushcart Prize nomination for “Relearning the Alphabet”
- Finalist, Women on Writing Creative Nonfiction contest Q2 2024