Nicola Ranson Here is a recent article published on The Mighty. Dating and intimacy present unique challenges for those with ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and other conditions that entail long periods spent in the bathroom. (And we are not talking about primping in front of the mirror.) My intention is to add some hope and … Read more
Winner of San Diego’s Memoir Showcase competition for second consecutive year! I am so excited that an excerpt from my memoir, A Slice of Orange, has won a place in San Diego’s 2020 Memoir Showcase competition. See winners of San Diego’s 2020 Memoir Showcase. “Casablanca Asylum” will be published in the upcoming anthology Shaking the … Read more
Here is a story I wrote in April in honor of my beloved Ron, my spouse caregiver who has held me to earth throughout my journey with anal cancer. It was published today. https://themighty.com/2020/10/cancer-spouse-caregiver-strengthen-bond/
At last the video is available! Here is the link to Tara Sampson’s reading/performance of “The Visit”. This took place at the 2019 Memoir Showcase at the North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach, CA. This extract from my memoir describes my parents’ memorable visit in 1984. They came to see me at Rajneeshpuram, the … Read more
Creative Souls Meeting: December 13, 2019 The Friday Before Treatment Begins So good to listen to my friends and their struggles. Mine become consuming. That medical treatment vortex is pulling me in deeper as I wade through the to-do list and the treatment protocols, getting ready for the full-time job of patient and being patient … Read more
Cancer Diary 11/30/19 “The not knowing is the worst part.” No. It’s not. Not knowing is a Before. When everything is still as it was. An ordinary arrangement of days when petty lows—a chipped cup—come wrapped in renewal: the sunshiny breakfast. Before highlights the present where I can feel my integrity, my wellness, my forward … Read more
Cancer Diary 11/25/19 When did my butt become public property? The very sphincter that controls what comes out. The one they are trying to save. It began the moment the doctor’s words, “Squamous cell carcinoma,” ripped the “Before” away from the “After.” I was left in a place between the two. The fragments of the … Read more
“The Visit” is an excerpt from my memoir, a short story about my parents’ journey to Rajneeshpuram, Oregon, to visit me on the commune there. Seeing it performed as one of the winners of the 2019 Memoir Showcase was a blast! It was a community event shared with the writers, actors and everyone who showed … Read more
My young friend Emily wrote: I was walking on the street near my university when a man pulled up beside me in his car. He said he was an undercover cop and asked me to get in because he had a few questions. I remembered all my mother’s advice, refused and informed the police. Later … Read more
Why the rabbits? I simply love them. Ever since my first love: Hopperty. (In the photo I am holding two of her children.) More recently, wild rabbits have graced my garden. I heard a shocking statistic on NPR which inspired this poem. TWO WILD RABBITS Through the window, Before breakfast, I saw Two … Read more