Lois Ruskai Melina is the author of The Grammar of Untold Stories, which reviewer Rene Denfeld (longlisted for an Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction) described as follows: “Each essay acts as the surface of water, inviting us to explore deeper. Family, children, infertility, and loss are just some of the issues explored in this brilliant book.” After receiving a PhD in Leadership Studies, Melina taught in universities, and her research focused on social movements and leadership. She lives in Oregon with her husband, where she enjoys rowing and women’s soccer; also, she has a grown son and a grown daughter, as well as two grandchildren. The title essay, “The Grammar of Untold Stories,” was a Notable Essay in Best American Essays, 2018 and a finalist for the North American Review’s Torch Prize and the New Letters Prize for Nonfiction. What other prizes have you received? Kiese Laymon chose my essay “Down in the River to Pray” for the 2016 Best of the Net Anthology (Sundress Publications). “The Scent of Water” was a finalist for the John Guyon Literary Nonfiction Prize at Crab Orchard Review. My short story “Goat-Song” was a finalist in the Lamar York Prize for Fiction contest continue...