This is where genre lines blur, forms stretch, and thoughtful narratives emerge from a willingness to experiment. Whether fiction or nonfiction, structured verse or freeform poetry, this space puts on display a range of styles and formats — all grounded in my desire to make a story resonate. You never know what might appear here— a provocative poem, a tangled tale, or a simple sentence that insists on jumping off the page.
ABOUT
Maryanne Giustino O’Dowd began her career in journalism and spent years as a public relations executive shaping narratives for diverse businesses and audiences. Her news and feature stories appeared in Chicago-area publications, including the Chicago Tribune, Suburban Chicago Sun-Times, Lerner Newspaper Group, and Journal Topics Newspapers. She has returned to the creative core of her craft—storytelling, and is now working in new formats, including fiction and poetry. She is in the process of completing her first novel.
Her writing blends journalistic precision with a poet's sensitivity and a strategist’s insight to uncover deeper truths. Maryanne often connects the dots between seemingly disparate moments and weaves universal threads that bind people together.
She is a facilitator of the 2025 Telling The Truth of Our Lives program at Write On, Door County. She received her B.A. in journalism from Columbia College, Chicago, and attended the college's Master's in Public Affairs Reporting program as a John Fischetti scholar.
After more than 50 years as a Chicagoan, Maryanne now resides with her husband in beautiful Door County, WI.
Her writing blends journalistic precision with a poet's sensitivity and a strategist’s insight to uncover deeper truths. Maryanne often connects the dots between seemingly disparate moments and weaves universal threads that bind people together.
She is a facilitator of the 2025 Telling The Truth of Our Lives program at Write On, Door County. She received her B.A. in journalism from Columbia College, Chicago, and attended the college's Master's in Public Affairs Reporting program as a John Fischetti scholar.
After more than 50 years as a Chicagoan, Maryanne now resides with her husband in beautiful Door County, WI.
Writer's Notebook
FAQs (Mostly Fun)
Morning bird or night owl?
Catching the worm -- and a couple of cups of coffee, usually before the sun is up.
Where can I see your work? Why isn't on your website?
I would love for you to read my work, but most journals and literary platforms have strict rules that prohibit the submission of previously published work - and that includes work that has appeared on your own website or blog. I'll share updates and links to my published work when available.
What is your writing practice - when and where do you write?
I do most of my writing early in the day. It's when my head is clear and I seem to have the most time and focused energy. I don't have a hard-and-fast writing practice - I wish I did. My goal is to write as often and as much as I can. As for where I write, I usually sit in a comfy leather chair overlooking the woods that are my backyard with my laptop propped up on my knees.
Book on your nightstand?
What are you writing, right now?
Working on my first novel. It is literary fiction with strong elements of women's lit. It centers on a young female protagonist's emotional journey, personal transformation, and connection to generations of women in her family. It is set in the Midwest and Italy -- small towns and big cities. I procrastinate by writing Flash fiction/creative nonfiction and poetry.