Welcome to "Lisa Hawkins, reader and writer"

Welcome to my blog, "Lisa Hawkins, reader and writer." I will be posting personal essays and reviews of books, movies, art exhibits, TV shows, and other things about once a week and I hope you enjoy them. Comments are welcome. I am an avid reader and have been writing poetry, fiction, and other stuff all my life. I have also taught writing in Brigham Young University's Honors Program and work as a professional (and freelance) editor. I love my family (terrific husband, two wonderful grown-up children, an admirable and lovable daughter-in-law, and two brilliant and charming grandsons). I spend a lot of time on family history and genealogical research. I love art history, medieval history, and music of many genres. My idea of heaven is a user-friendly university with an incomparable library, where the books, music, and art you seek are always available! And going to a cozy home and loving family at the end of a day's (how long is a day in heaven?) exploration.

For 38 of my 55 years, I have been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (I hope to post a profile on Mormon.org soon), and while that informs everything I do, this blog is not intended to preach at anyone. I try to live my life with compassion and kindness; I do believe wholeheartedly that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer; I know that our Heavenly Father wants us to live joyful lives, full of faith, hope, and charity. Service to others is the road to happiness. So there's a brief introduction to me. I hope you'll follow along!