As a child, and even through my adult life, I vividly remember how my father would chide me in his playful way about how I always strived to communicate. During … Continue reading A Constant Communicator in Every Possible Way
Author: Alisa Burris
I am a literary fiction writer with a published murder mystery titled Detached.
Personal Identity in Progress
Last year, I graduated with a doctorate in English, reaching the highest academic level possible in this field at the age of fifty-two. The road to earning this wonderful degree … Continue reading Personal Identity in Progress
In Serious Mourning for a Gym
Well, it finally happened. After weeks of speculation, rumors swirling from one gym to another, I found out the news that I’d been dreading. Yesterday, I arrived at my gym … Continue reading In Serious Mourning for a Gym
Overcoming My Fearfulness
Although I’ve always been a shy person, especially in unfamiliar social situations, fear never seemed to restrict me. It didn’t complicate the way I navigated through life’s many complexities either. … Continue reading Overcoming My Fearfulness
The Advantages of Age
Recently, I celebrated a birthday. I’m fortunate that this annual occasion occurs during the warmer months of the year. So indulging in frozen yogurt decadence and enjoying a long, scenic … Continue reading The Advantages of Age
Caring is the Key to Everything
Lately, I can’t help but marvel at the horrendous level of negativity surrounding us at all times now. It seems to me that hate, cruelty, and regressive policies designed to … Continue reading Caring is the Key to Everything
Proud to be ‘Woke’
Most of the time, I’m a pretty composed, level-headed person, at least on the surface. It takes quite a lot of prompting for me to release the anger that silently … Continue reading Proud to be ‘Woke’
Hate’s Unfortunate Effects on Society
Lately, my thoughts have been gravitating with persistent alarm to the culture of hate that continues to blossom further and further in America. This terrible mindset steadily creeps along, extending … Continue reading Hate’s Unfortunate Effects on Society
It’s All on us: The Voters
At the beginning of this year, I wrote about my determination to be hopeful for the future despite all of the troubling realities that we face as a nation. Much … Continue reading It’s All on us: The Voters
Hope Shining Through the Darkness
Now that 2022 has concluded, a year of immense political complexities and hateful strife looming from the last presidential administration, I feel the need to look forward with a sense … Continue reading Hope Shining Through the Darkness
We Deserve So Much Better
I admit it. On a consistent, quite unwavering basis, I’m a worrier. Even when no immediate threat appears to be hovering nearby, I tend to feel a constant swirl of … Continue reading We Deserve So Much Better
Decency Quietly Rising From the Abyss
Over the last few angst-ridden years, with stories of hate-driven violence, political hostility, and conspiracy-theory madness, my outrage had slowly numbed to a frustrated acceptance. During this chaotic time, it … Continue reading Decency Quietly Rising From the Abyss
How Teaching Has Given My Life a Meaningful Direction
From a young age, the thought of ever becoming a teacher would’ve stirred up horrendous images of torture in my mind. Nothing could have convinced me that engaging students might … Continue reading How Teaching Has Given My Life a Meaningful Direction
Devising My Personal Legacy
The older that I become, the more reflective I am about where I fit into the world and the potential imprint I could feasibly leave behind. While I realize this … Continue reading Devising My Personal Legacy
Always an Avid Learner
Recently, I earned a PhD in English. This vigorous, quite enriching process involved a commitment well beyond any other effort I’ve ever experienced in my life. From the constant studying … Continue reading Always an Avid Learner
A Grateful Nod to Empathy
As a writer, I tend to examine topics that deeply matter to me in exhaustive detail, often considering multiple vantage points. To some people, that course amounts to overthinking and … Continue reading A Grateful Nod to Empathy
Finding Happiness in Dark Times
Like the heroines who populate my stories, I tend to fixate on certain issues that frighten me. By exploring grim scenarios in my fiction and examining these real-time topics within … Continue reading Finding Happiness in Dark Times
Traumatic Effects
Over these last few weeks, I’ve explored different aspects of my upcoming murder mystery Detached, with one particular theme primarily weaving through the layers of analysis. It’s a silent yet … Continue reading Traumatic Effects
Emotionally Alone
When I first began writing Detached, it fulfilled a therapeutic need for me. In fact, weaving this story together through its many worthwhile drafts, which, I believe, strengthened the overall … Continue reading Emotionally Alone
How Violence Generates and Deepens Isolation
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been writing blogs to describe different aspects of my upcoming novel Detached in the context of today’s complicated and quite troubling world. With each … Continue reading How Violence Generates and Deepens Isolation
My Freedom to Believe
For the last few years, I’ve felt nothing less than pure terror. There are many reasons for this endless fear. Witnessing America’s horrific movement toward fascism is one source of … Continue reading My Freedom to Believe
Secondary and Scared
Because I’m a writer, I feel much more comfortable adopting the role of an observer. In fact, I prefer to watch the world around me from a distance, thoughtfully considering … Continue reading Secondary and Scared
The Consequences of Immoral Chaos
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been transfixed by all of the dramatic developments occurring in our political and legal systems. To be honest, I feel frightened by the unraveling … Continue reading The Consequences of Immoral Chaos
Life’s Already Difficult Without Intolerance
Because I’m a writer, I often feel better able to express my thoughts by typing each word, meticulously refining and polishing every sentence, rather than articulating these ideas in a … Continue reading Life’s Already Difficult Without Intolerance
The Delicate Balance Between Freedom and Disengagement (with Hope for a Better Future)
As a child, I used to look forward to adulthood with an intense eagerness, a time when I could be in total charge of myself and my life. The limitations … Continue reading The Delicate Balance Between Freedom and Disengagement (with Hope for a Better Future)
Secrecy as an Unfortunate Tool for Survival
Over the past few weeks, I’ve reflected upon aspects of the writing process in the context of my own personal experience. It’s been a useful method to me for framing … Continue reading Secrecy as an Unfortunate Tool for Survival
The Cultural Price of Alienation (and the Hopefulness That Exists Beneath the Surface)
As a writer, I understand that one’s own work is always open to interpretation. It’s not up to me to provide a definitive explanation of the texts that I produce, … Continue reading The Cultural Price of Alienation (and the Hopefulness That Exists Beneath the Surface)
Writing as Therapy for My Fears
I am a fearful, anxious person. Fright drives me in everything that I do. It’s a constant presence, no matter how calm I might look on the outside. The only way I can dominate this ever-present uneasiness, productively confronting its terrible intrusion, is to write.
Numerous Decades in the Making
Ever since the age of thirteen, I knew I wanted to become a writer. Ironically, that awareness evolved after I received the quite justifiable punishment of losing my television privileges. While in the eighth grade, a totally depressing year of middle school boredom and teenaged resentment, I decided not to do my schoolwork any longer.