PinnedAbout me — Susan McCorkindaleFirst up: McCorkindale is my stage name — Hi! I’m Susan McCorkindale. I’ve been writing since my parents gave me my first black and white composition notebook when I was about four. My work wasn’t any good, but that didn’t stop me from chasing them around the house trying to read it to them. Beyond being a writer and an author (I…Writing2 min read
Published in The Haven·4 days agoLost in Cow CountryTractors and skid loaders and brush cutters, oh my — The other day I was making beds, folding laundry, and trying to decide if any of the mystery packages in my freezer were worth defrosting for dinner when the phone rang. I answered it and heard my husband say the words all farmers’ wives fear: “Sue, the hydraulics failed on…Humor6 min read
Published in QuickTalk·Jun 20Practically Naked and Not Writing About ItWhere’d my mojo go? — I recently realized that despite my Type A personality and abundance of energy, I’m a slacker. While others on Medium are announcing the publication of their 300th or 500th story, I’ve published an entire 153 pieces. Making matters worse is that many of these prolific individuals have only been on…Writing2 min read
Published in QuickTalk·Jun 18A Day Without Internet is Like a Day Without OxygenBut I can still draw enough breath to be bitchy — I can’t get online. I’ve reset the router. I’ve restarted my laptop. And still, nothing. Without Internet access, I can’t get to Thesaurus.com. And without Thesaurus.com, I can’t write. I don’t always need it, but I like knowing it’s there. I mean, what if I need to find different ways…Internet3 min read
Published in The Memoirist·Jun 17I Call It ‘Halloween for the Horsey Set’They call it the annual Colt and Horse Show — So there I was, rushing the kids to day camp, desperate to make the 9 a.m. drop-off time lest they miss a prepaid minute of Wide World of Sports, or I miss a precious moment of peace. We were cruising along at a good clip when we zipped past a…Satire4 min read
Published in QuickTalk·Jun 15Spiderman: No Way HomeThe Sue review — sort of — My husband, flipping through movies on Netflix: “Oh, wow! This is supposed to be really good!” Me, reluctantly picking my head up from my book: “Spiderman? No thanks. I’ll read.” My husband, clicking on the title and renting the damn thing: “It got great reviews. Let’s try it. …Humor3 min read
Published in The Memoirist·Jun 15Signs of Spring in the SticksCan you say snakes? — How do you know when spring’s come to the sticks? The dogs bring home calf heads and the cats smack snakes around on the kitchen floor. Don’t you just envy my life here in cow country? Back when I lived a nice, safe, suburban existence, I gauged the arrival of…Humor3 min read
Published in The Haven·Jun 13And Now I’m a CowpuncherNot easy to do in peep-toed platforms — It’s official. I’m a cowpuncher. Twice in one day I helped round up and return several escaped cows to their rightful pastures. Not an easy thing to do in peep-toed platforms, but I managed. Cow punching, for the uninitiated, is done in pairs. One person positions themselves near the escaped…Humor4 min read
Published in MuddyUm·Jun 11The Badder, the BetterForget the Brooks Brothers dude — give me the hunk on the Hog — I hope they have chocolate in hell. Why? Because that’s where I’m headed. It’s not my fault of course, and I blame Esquire magazine for the whole mess. You see, several Fridays ago, which just happened to be Good Friday, I did what I do every Friday and flew into…Humor4 min read
Published in The Memoirist·Jun 8Why do country drivers tailgate?Because “Spot’s” got the steering wheel — In the little more than two years I’ve lived in cow country I’ve come to one major conclusion: the suburbs are a whole lot safer than the sticks. Allow me to explain. The other day while driving the kids to school, I nearly hit a horse. I’ve nearly hit things…Humor5 min read
