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.
Writing
FAQs (Mostly Fun)
Morning bird or night owl?
Catching the worm -- and a couple of cups of coffee, usually before the sun is up.
First job?
Drive-in carhop. Yes, like in the movies, minus the roller skates. Worked my way through summer after freshman year of high school, dishing up burgers, root beer floats, and retro charm.
What's a small joy that never fails to bring a smile?
Happiness is homemade, often by hosting an intimate dinner around my table. What's on the menu? Something Mediterranean-inspired with a plot centered around olive oil, oregano and garlic.
Books on your nightstand?
With an e-book reader in hand, I'm riding the high seas with Michael Ondaatje's The Cat's Table, wandering the Adirondacks in Liz Moore's God of the Woods, and reimaging a classic through the thought-provoking James by Percival Everett.
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.