I’m late. I should’ve been there by now. If I’d’ve left ten minutes ago, I would be. But as I’m running out my office, my boss stops by. I slow my pace and we chat until he gets a call. I dash down the hall in the opposite direction. I’m in my car, speeding up […]
Archive for April, 2006
Upwardly (auto)mobile
Nearly a year after completing my Ph.D. in English literature, I recently landed what fewer than half of my peers will ever achieve: a tenure-track job. In itself, it’s a dream come true—the culmination of over a decade of college; countless solitary summer days cursing in front of the computer when everyone else is at […]
Jesus in the bath water
Overheard on Ash Wednesday: Coworker #1: I don’t get his whole Lent thing; you have to give up something you really like? Coworker #2: Yeah, like chocolate or meat or beer, something that would be hard to live without. Coworker #1: If it is something you are supposed to really care about, could you give […]
Dear Cedric
Dear Cedric, My doctor’s pen carries a “Viagra” logo. The clock on her wall has “Ambien” emblazoned across its face. Should I be taking those drugs? Is she sending me a subconscious signal? Jennifer A. Dear Jennifer, As doctors, we do get trained in the subconscious. We know it’s an effective tool in treating our […]
You rating me grading you
Recently, a friend and I were lamenting the fact that, since graduating college and becoming college instructors ourselves, we no longer get to experience the constant validation we received as students. Instead, we’ve become the agents of validation (or, too often, invalidation)—and we both feel somewhat bereft as a result. Although I’m now presumably helping […]
And the Lord said: ‘Ask her about her sex life’
The following excerpt is from an interview CBS’s Rita Braver conducted with televangelist Pat Robertson. The interview aired on CBS News Sunday Morning on April 9, 2006. A brief quiz follows.
If you can get it
It’s a beautiful early April afternoon. In Tompkins Square Park there’s a chill in the air, but if you sit or stroll in the sun you’re warm enough in a light jacket. People walk dogs; groups of friends sit on the lawn, picnicking on takeout; a drummer and jazz flutist play on the east side […]
Art Brut @ Bowery Ballroom
The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. I love the Bowery Ballroom’s balcony. I can see a band from a comfortable seat, watch the audience in all its quirkiness, and feel like a VIP (as much as I can feel like a VIP while still paying $20 […]
Cat is not sleepy
A couple of years ago I was delighted to discover Cat Is Sleepy by Satoshi Kitamura. It combines all my favorite things…children’s books, cats, Japanese design. Although grammarians might despair of the absent definite article, it’s a charming book in which cat cannot find a suitable place to sleep. A crisis for any feline. I […]
