How it all started

My name is Erica Gerald Mason and I'm pretty sure we're going to friends. I'm a storyteller and a sangria sipper. I write books, I lead workshops, I speak on panels, and I use poetry to teach kiddos about everything from physics to phys-ed.

I hate mayonnaise and I love rhubarb. The last thing I bought at a flea market was a vintage thesaurus and every time I go to the grocery store, the first thing on my list is coffee. Always coffee.

My husband is my best friend, but my dog gets me. My mom sometimes wishes I didn't curse so much. I will always tell you the truth, even if I have to sob the entire time while I do it.

Some people would say I laugh too loudly. They would be right. Some other people would say my desire to write about emotion borders on obsession. They would be right, too.

The last time I laughed out loud was five seconds ago, when I accidentally typed 'gory' instead of story. Whoops. The last time I yelled was this afternoon, when I walked to my mailbox without any shoes, and I stepped on a worm. My neighbors heard my cries of 'eww. eww. eww...gross' and barely even turned around.

They know me around here.

And I hope you'll get to know me, too.

Philosophy

I think good stories get under your skin and sets up camp. It makes a home somewhere between your heart and your lungs and you can't tell where the story ends and where your reaction to the story begins. The emotion makes the story. And it's as simple and complicated as that.