About Melinda
Most of Melinda’s writing has its roots in the geographies of her childhood: She was born and raised in Southern California (half in the San Fernando Valley and half in Malibu), with summer visits to her grandparents’ farm in Jackson, Michigan. So she’s half city slicker and half beach bum, but she’s also always been a farm girl at heart (though she can’t reliably grow a thing, unless it’s in a pot, and then it’s iffy).
Melinda placed second overall in NYC Midnight’s 2019 Flash Fiction Challenge, and her poetry and fiction have received recognition from the Wisconsin Writer’s Association. But it wasn’t until 2021 that she made a New Year’s resolution to start submitting her work for publication. So far (as of May 2021), that’s been going pretty well: Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Flash Fiction Magazine and several anthologies (see the Publications page).
Melinda lives in northwestern Wisconsin with her husband and two cats, Karma and Kafka. When she’s not writing, her hobbies include classic cars and cooking. She particularly enjoys inventing new kinds of soup.
melinda hagenson 
Jun 12, 2021 @ 11:45:43
I just read your excellent essay “Nobody Said it Was Easy” on the WOW – Women on Writing website. Poignant and well-written.
Jun 14, 2021 @ 13:28:18
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Apr 09, 2015 @ 16:27:22
I couldn’t add another comment to yours, Melinda. I’ll look into the origins of Coeur d’Alene and let you know. Thank you for stopping by my blog.
Apr 10, 2015 @ 00:01:43
Thanks! (Did you notice that the last post on my blog is re-blogged from your page . . last June? One of these days I’ll get caught up . . . . .)
Apr 23, 2014 @ 17:34:30
Oh my gosh, I grew up 30 miles west of Jackson, MI. I’m a farm girl at heart, but now with over half my life lived in Colorado, I feel so much pioneer spirit in my soul. My parents still live in my Michigan hometown and are approaching age 90! Hardy souls, those Midwesterners 🙂
Apr 23, 2014 @ 17:58:11
How cool is that? My mom always said they got a lot more snow in MI than we do in WI, but it gets a lot colder here than there. Either way, your parents must be pretty hardy to endure this past winter–it about did us in!
Apr 23, 2014 @ 18:13:49
Yup – we had a mild winter in Denver (with great snowfall in mtns) and Phoenix area seemed ok. The rest of the country had atrocious weather of one kind or another. I could never go back to the gray days in the midwest – I have to have sun! I hope you are seeing signs of spring and promise of warmer days ahead!