While I was drawn to the Renaissance, my first (unpublished) novels took place in modern times. When the subject of alchemy started creeping into my ….

Then everything was still. Absolutely still..

I’m one of those very lucky people who absolutely love what they do for a living. There is no career better suited to my eccentricities, strengths, a….

As an artist, I identify with Sandro Botticelli. We know him as the man who painted Primavera and The Birth Of Venus. The goddesses and ancient subje….

Icons are also beautiful, with their luminous colors and gold leaf. On first glance, the subjects can seem flat, their poses artificial. But the wond….

remember a feeling of excitement, of sudden inspiration, when I was visiting Giovanni Boccaccio's home in the walled village of Certaldo, outside of ….

You have to be willing to endure the discomfort, the doubts and unknowing, you somehow find the courage to walk through your doubts and the difficult….

When we believe we have all the answers, we are not open to mystery. To begin a mystical journey, you have to start with a sense of wonder, of not kn….

I love teaching. It's a job that lasts forever. Whatever you teach children today travels with them far into the future..

Renaissance man, woman, either way it's a worthy pursuit! Like the painters of Emilia's day, I was raised in an environment that encouraged creative ….

As far as benefits to reading historical novels, there are several! For one thing, you learn about life in another era. Secondly, these novels help u….

After my husband died more than a decade ago, my mother prayed that I would remarry so that I could have a "normal" life again. Many people assumed t….

hough I was creative, I also liked math and science. At Knox College, I studied creative writing and earned a degree in chemistry, thinking I would a….

It's difficult to choose between these art forms. Iconography is entirely different from the style of the 15th century masters, who were experts in f….

Artists have to believe in the merit of their own work and persevere whether they receive public recognition or not, but it's ever so nice when someo….

I think today's young women are an especially powerful breed. They will be taking on even greater challenges, which is why achieving personal empower….

Reading is the basic springboard for learning. And books provide the liftoff. They are the great equalizer, opening up new worlds to everyone..

When I was contemplating medical school after graduating from Knox, several people suggested that nursing was a more suitable profession for women. M….

I think it might be nice if there was a Cosimo de' Medici around today, offering commissions to the poor, but talented artists..

Writing is a miracle. You can travel anywhere in the world, to any time and any place — and still be home in time to have dinner..

set sail on a voyage of your own titanic facts.