Maurie Traylor

The Novel Gardener

United States of America

I chose the name "The Novel Gardener" to represent my creative life that includes writing, art and design. This is my writing portfolio that includes all published articles.

I graduated from Oklahoma State University and had a successful fifteen year career in sales and sales training. When my children left home to begin their own adult lives, I knew that I had to live my best life so that they could see that learning never ends. I have always had a personal journal but it took time and the encouragement of many others for me to write for publication.

My influences are varied including Joyce Carol Oates, Mary Oliver, Anne Lamott, Harper Lee, David Sedaris and David Foster Wallace. My favorite genre to read is the novel but my favorite form to write is the essay.

In addition to writing, I enjoy painting with watercolors and start each day with a "scribble". I begin each day with a scribble, a walk with Jackson and time in the garden before writing. In addition to writing, I create gardens (and other sacred spaces) for clients, friends and myself.

Portfolio
Oklahoma Gardener
06/01/2016
Cool Shrubs

Photo Credit: Valerie Grant

Tulsaccreview
04/27/2016
Grief and the Modern Girl

Say the word "grief" aloud and its brevity pulls you up short. First, the hard, guttural "g," like a moan of pain barked after a fist to the gut. Then, the hissing "f," like a mad cat, back arched. It's a word severed from itself, its head hacked off blunt and bloody and then, nothing.

Oklahoma Gardener
07/01/2016
Finding Space

Photography by: Carole Topalian & Barry Jarvis

Tulsa Food
01/27/2016
Big Pivots in the Blue Dome District - TulsaFood - Tulsa Food

"Failure is not failure, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden Great coaches know when it's time to make a change. Instinctively, they perceive when game-changing decisions are needed. Students of their craft, they intuit when to change the game, when to change the line-up and even when to throw out the playbook ...

Oklahoma Gardener
09/01/2015
Nature's Gift

Take a vacant lot, five charities, and the vision of Keith Butler, and you get Britney Farms, a working community garden in the heart of busy midtown Tulsa. Photo credit: Mary Anne Harris

Tulsa Food
08/13/2015
Coney Island: A Tulsa Legend Since 1926 - Tulsa Food

Is there a more ubiquitous food item than the hot dog? From roadside drive-in's to burger shacks, the hot dog is an American favorite. And yet, this humble delight has an extensive passport. Historians credit the Roman emperor Nero, whose cook, Gaius, may have linked the first sausages. Photo credit: Valerie Grant

Tulsa Food
08/06/2015
Hammett House: Home Cookin' in the Heartland since 1969 (Seriously) - Tulsa Food

"There's always room for a story that can transport people to another place." - J.K. Rowling Bill Baird thought he knew the story of Hammett House's favorite condiment, fondly dubbed, "The Pink Stuff". As far as he knew, this sauce came from one of the recipes inherited from LaNelle Hammett, an original owner of the ...

TulsaFood.com
06/17/2015
A Peaceful Retreat

The Tropical offers an edible landscape and top-notch options for all eaters.

Oklahoma Gardener
06/15/2015
Spice It Up

Photo credit: Mary Anne Harris (Harris House Studios)

Oklahoma Gardener
06/10/2015
Keep Your Focus

Creating Focal Points in the Landscape; Photo credit: Mary Anne Harris

Tulsa Food
06/09/2015
The New Dilly Diner in the Blue Dome: a down-home diner like no other in the heart of Tulsa -...

Photo credit: Valerie Grant Some relationships never make it to the commitment stage. Like a summer crush, they are short-term, exploratory and experimental. Sure, they are fun but often lack the important elements of something more substantial and cohesive. Nonetheless, some flings mature into something new and exciting. They build on the simple, even the mundane, with a freshness ...

Tulsa Food
05/28/2015
The Tropical: Tulsa's Top Thai Restaurant Utilizing Edible Landscaping - Tulsa Food

Photo credit: Valerie Grant My favorite stories combine the familiar with the unexpected, the typical with a bit of mystery, the known with a hint of the unknowable. I believe a great dining experience is like a great read: it combines the elements of common things with pleasing surprises throughout the experience.

Tulsa Voice
05/20/2015
Grow Wild

Creating a Life Where All Life Can Thrive

Edibletulsa
05/01/2015
EDIBLE GARDENING: A Conversation with Rosalind Creasy

Words by Maurie Traylor Photography by Rosalind Creasy My conversation with Rosalind Creasy began in a cool corner of a library. My children and I made our weekly trek to the local library to dodge the hot arrows of a fierce Oklahoma sun. Our rule was to each select one book that was new to us.

Tulsa Food
04/01/2015
Handcrafted Community at Foolish Things Coffee - Tulsa Food

Photo credit: Valerie Grant "Mix a little foolishness with your serious plans. It is lovely to be foolish at the right moment." - Horace One sip of Foolish Things oak aged cold brew coffee tells everything about the craft of coffee- and much about the art of building community.

Oklahoma Gardener
03/02/2015
Healing Tea Garden

Where there is tea, there is hope. Photo credit: Mary Anne Harris

Tulsa Food
03/01/2015
Aphrovegiac: Vegetarian Wine Dinners at the Vault - Tulsa Food

Photo credit: Valerie Grant I felt like I was going on a blind date. Bored with my familiar food routine, I looked to make some changes. I wanted to feel better, to look better. So I made a New Year's intention to eat healthier. After a few weeks of salads and smoothies, I noticed some improvements.

Tulsa Food
01/09/2015
Florence Park Cafe: a Neighborhood Spot - Tulsa Food

Photo credit: Valerie Grant When you ask Jonathan Haring, chef and owner of Florence Park Café, to describe his restaurant, his quick response is to describe it as a "neighborhood café." What makes a café neighborly? That's a question hard to answer. It is like asking, "What is jazz music?"

Tulsa Review
01/01/2015
Transplant

Transplant earned 2nd place in the Tulsa Review

Edibletulsa
12/15/2014
SEASONAL SOIL: IMAGINE A GARDEN

"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!" -Dr. Seuss Words by Maurie Traylor, The Novel Gardener Photography by Andrea Church Quick. Before the short, cold days of winter make way for the busy hum of spring activities.

Tulsa Food
11/12/2014
Leaven, Knead and Roll: Breads are the Heart of Trencher's Deli - Tulsa Food

Photo credit: Valerie Grant Perhaps it was watching his father create sandwiches from simple ingredients on hand. Maybe it was the tasty flavors of the Bay Area and Long Beach eateries that captured his interest. Or maybe it was the influence of his wife and her successful coffee shop.

Edibletulsa
11/01/2014
SEASONAL SOIL

"Gardening is not a rational act," the great Canadian writer Margaret Atwood once wrote. "In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Words by Maurie Traylor Photography by Carole Topalia When you think about it, coupling with nature to grow one's own food is a creative connection to life and health.

Oklahoma Gardener
09/02/2014
Strike a Chord with Edibles

Growing vegetables simply, easily, and deliciously; Photo credit: Mary Anne Harris