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The Creative Quill

The Creative Quill

Writing that speaks louder than words



  • 10.12.2025

    The Christmas Eve secret we never told

    The Christmas Eve secret we never told

    A late-night accident, a kitchen full of lobster tails, and a promise to keep quiet became one of my favorite Christmas memories. This story kicks off 15 Days of Christmas at The Creative Quill. An invitation to slow down, laugh, and remember the imperfect moments that turn the holidays into something lasting. Continue reading

    christmas, Christmas memories, family, Family traditions, fiction, holiday humor, Holiday storytelling, Italian Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes, life, Nostalgic writing, Personal essays Creative Quill Christmas, Seasonal reflections, writing
  • 08.12.2025

    Before anyone called it a war

    Before anyone called it a war

    Before the French and Indian War had a name, Chicago listened. From 1696 through the early 1750s, chaotic trade, Potawatomi power, firewater, and broken alliances turned the marsh into a warning ground, one that felt the war coming long before the first shot was fired. Continue reading

    american-revolution, canada, Chicago history, Chicago Portage, Colonial North America, Early Chicago, fiction, Firewater trade, Fox Wars, French and Indian War, French fur trade, Great Lakes history, history, Indigenous Midwest, Potawatomi History, Pre-Revolutionary America, travel
  • 12.11.2025

    The Hidden Secret That Started It All

    The Hidden Secret That Started It All

    Long before skyscrapers, Chicago was a wild, garlic-scented crossroads where tribes traveled a treacherous portage that connected two vast water worlds. This muddy vein tested the strong, swallowed the unworthy, and shaped the destiny of nations. Chicago didn’t rise by chance; fate had already chosen its future. Continue reading

    American Origins, art, books, Chicago history, Early Chicago, fiction, Forgotten Places, Great Lakes Stories, Historical Chicago, Indigenous History, Mythic History, Portage Paths, Prairie Stories, reflective storytelling, Shikaakwa, writing

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