Minding the miles
Writing & editing by Lisa A. Watts
About me
In one form or another, I've made a living as a writer and editor all my life. My career began in early grade school when I typed up family and classroom newsletters featuring my news reporting, poetry, and sketches—a one-woman shop—and charged my parents and siblings five cents an issue.
I spent the first half of my career editing city and university magazines. In 2008, as the Great Recession took hold, I shifted into nonprofit communications work, supporting a variety of mission-driven organizations.
These days I'm savoring retirement but freelancing a bit. I write primarily about two topics that fascinate me: place and change. I've published two memoirs. Crossing Bridges shares the lessons I learned on a two-month bike trip up the East Coast. Curb Appeal explores why I've fallen hard for 15 houses over the last 40 years.
I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up along the East Coast: Atlanta through elementary school, a Baltimore suburb for junior high, and a Boston suburb for high school. After meeting and marrying Bob in Boston, we worked and raised kids in Connecticut, Ohio, and North Carolina. We live now in a small town on Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay.
What others say
Curb Appeal is a warm, witty meditation on the beauty of starting over and the relationships and routines that sustain us amid change."
—Melody Warnick, author, This Is Where You Belong
Lisa Watts has written a warm testament to the supreme value of breaking away...the ultimate dream-chaser's guide."
—Neil King, Jr., author, American Ramble
Good Roots editor Lisa Watts had the clever idea of inviting 20 gifted poets, novelists, and nonfiction writers to consider their Ohio beginnings.”
—Cleveland Plain Dealer
Books
A witty and engaging real estate memoir about four decades of moving to fifteen homes, embracing change, and nurturing a long-term marriage.
A travel memoir of sorts, Watts shares essays of lessons learned — literal and metaphorical — from her two-month bike trip with a dear friend from Key West to Canada.
Essays and poems by distinguished writers—among them Anthony Doerr, Susan Orlean, and P.J. O'Rourke. Watts collected the contents and wrote the book's introduction.
Recent articles
Rhode Island Redux
After living in five states over forty years, I've returned to Rhode Island — this time for good. I wrote this essay for Rhode Island Monthly, the magazine that drew me to Providence four decades ago as a newlywed. READ
Miles Still to Go
Rhode Island boasts 75 miles of beloved, scenic shared-use biking and walking paths. Advocates want to see far more: access to safe, connected routes in every community in the state.. READ
I was locked down at the Avon during the Brown shooting
A surreal afternoon in Providence, shared in The Providence Eye. READ
I write feature stories for Grow Smart RI, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing neighborhood revitalization, environmental stewardship, and economic opportunity for all Rhode Islanders. READ
A 2022 essay for MarketWatch. READ
I spent a week biking with three other women, all of us 65 and older, the 326 miles from Cleveland to Cincinnati. An amazing 90 percent of the route is on protected shared-use trails. READ
Interviews
"insights into aging gracefully and the joy of meaningful connections"
“Lisa teaches us the importance of enjoying the journey rather than strictly adhering to completion. Reflecting on the metaphorical bridges crossed, she invites us to consider how cycling adventures can be a metaphor for approaching life's transitions, showcasing the profound insights that come with viewing aging as a chapter filled with freedom and vitality.”
— WARMSHOWERS' BIKE LIFE PODCAST, Nov. 24, 2024
"prepare to be inspired"
"Lisa recounts some of the unforgettable moments and profound life lessons learned during her incredible two-month cycling adventure with a close friend. Tom and Lisa's conversation beautifully underscores the exciting possibilities for adventure and growth at any age."
CYCLING OVER 60 PODCAST, May 24, 2025
"answers questions most women in their fifties will find relatable"
“Watts decided to think more deeply about all the ways the trip became a metaphor for aging well. Lessons on traveling lightly and crossing bridges can be applied to both bicycle trips and aging gracefully."
Winston-Salem Journal feature story, April 2024