Someone once pointed out to me that D.C., with a 95% democratic base and populated by progressive thinkers from all income levels, would be to the left of Vermont, California, the Republic of Berkeley etc. if it were a state or had proper congressional representation.
I am sure you are all aware of the sorry state [...]
Author Archive
Love wins
Bye bye baby
I’ve moved through life assuming that giving birth was always a possibility. And now, at nearly 43, I have to sever that option or cling on to it.
Severing would mean better physical health, the resolution of medical issues, and a life liberated from menstruation. Now that I spend more time menstruating than not, I can’t [...]
Stella and the aging parents
I just got back from England where I celebrated my Dad’s 70th birthday and faced the reality of aging parents.
My normally laid-back father was deeply stressed out about his party. Ok, it was for 90 people and I too would be uptight, but on the morning of the event he collected me from the airport [...]
Die, monster, die
Exercise: take a piece of blank paper with some crayons or felt tips. Draw a monster. Put the monster in the middle of the floor. Select an imaginary (unless you have kids’ toys available) weapon. Take the weapon and kill the monster.
What did your monster look like? Describe the qualities of the monster. How did [...]
The staff holiday party
Before:
As I write I am dreading the prospect of spending Thursday evening at the staff holiday party. (And yes, having a job and an organization that can have a party is a privilege in these times.) The holidays are over. I am done with toasting, drinking, eating, celebrating. I took my department out for holiday [...]
Stranger behavior III
Another year, another batch of observations to build on this an this.
Stella settles in to her seat on a flight to the West Coast for work. Her boss is in the row in front. She turns her attention to the younger gentleman in the seat beside her. He’s visiting from Holland. His chin is pierced [...]
Inconspicuous consumption
Welcome to Black Friday, Whatsiters. I hope you are curled up in a post-Thanksgiving haze, browsing your favorite news sites, sipping coffee, and giving a second round of thanks that you are not battling crowds at the mall.
In October, I went to the Washington City Paper’s Crafty Bastards craft fair, which turned out to be [...]
Budding
I’m a recent convert to Mortified!—the performance initiative that presents people reading from their original teenage journals, letters, poems, stories and other angst-ridden and embarrassing adolescent material. Check out their website to find performances in your area.
The evening was brilliant. Jon Stewart could not have made me laugh and cry more than the geeky highschooler [...]
