Dana Shavin

What a children’s book taught me about being the architect of my own fate A friend of mine is having a baby next month, which gave me the opportunity to gift her two of my favorite children’s books. One of them is…

Posted to Medium this morning, one of my favorite columns about one of my favorite books, Harold and the Purple Crayon. An astounding tiny book about a little boy in a onesie who discovers he is the architect of his own fate.
medium.com/@danalisesha...

Wedding and loss bring joy and heartbreak - Dana Shavin My brother’s oldest daughter married in Atlanta this past weekend. It was a lovely ceremony in a large studio space with an expanse of windows that showcased, concurrently, a torrential rain. A friend...

www.danashavin.com/wedding-and-...

Woman sitting in chair wearing blue jeans & black top.

I got the Literary Arts grant! Thanks to the Arts Build (Chattanooga) jurors for funding my project, Writing Classes for the Curious: Three local writers will each create a two-hour introductory writing workshop (sci fi, graphic novel, & creative nonfiction) for ages 12+ to be hosted on YouTube.

My Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Idea - Dana Shavin A few nights ago, I couldn’t sleep. I’d thrown back a whopping dose of cough syrup before going to bed, hoping to shut down the dry hacking that was making my chest wall hurt and my head ache. Hours l...

www.danashavin.com/my-terrible-...

You're Not in Control. Maybe That's a Good Thing. Because it's hard (and sometimes downright impossible) to make other people do what we want them to do. But should we really be trying?

My latest for Next Avenue.

I’m super excited to be the new Literary Arts Program Coordinator for the Dalton Creative Arts Guild! If you’re a professional writer or author who might be interested in teaching a class or workshop, please reach out to me.

The Sunny Glow of Imagined Future Accomplishment – by Dana Shavin We are at the Mexican place when the artist calls us back and says it’s fine for us to drive up. Altamont, Tennessee is on top of a mountain, an hour plus a little away. It’s too rural for GPS, so …

What is success, anyway? rockvalereview.com/the-sunny-gl...

The Accident - Dana Shavin A year ago, I hit a man with my car. It was early in the morning, still dark in my two-house cul-de-sac deep in the woods. I was backing down my steep driveway, watching my side-view mirror. As long a...

I wish I’d not had the opportunity to write this essay, about hitting my neighbor with my car. Thanks to Writing Class Radio for providing a home for it. www.danashavin.com/the-accident/

Veterinary social workers: Offering hope and help Veterinary social workers offer critical support to veterinary teams and clients alike. Here's how to get connected with these services.

My first article for the american animal hospital association . www.aaha.org/newstat/publ...

All the light I cannot see - Dana Shavin Several weeks ago I was happily engrossed in a few projects. I was recording an essay I’d written for a podcast called Writing Class Radio. I was working up a flyer for a writing class. And I was putt...

“I remember thinking how life goes on even when you feel the whole world ought to shut down out of homage to your disbelief.” Today’s column in the Chattanooga Times Free Press. www.danashavin.com/all-the-ligh...