Published in Curious·PinnedMember-onlyHow to Be SurprisedStay open to the wonders of the world — According to George Saunders, a work of art “has to surprise its audience, which it can do only if it has legitimately surprised its creator.” When I read that, I realized I’m not creating art. Not by a long shot. I spend heaps of time bound up, worried, self-flagellating, fighting…Magic7 min readMagic7 min read
Nov 27Member-onlyThe Circle TurnsParenting: The Struggle — The first thing to know about me is that I’m a writer who doesn’t write. And that sort of kills me, it really does. …Parenting8 min readParenting8 min read
Oct 25Member-onlyA Piece of Cake…or three — What is a piece of cake? We all know what that is, assuredly. And I know I just consumed three pieces of the leftover birthday cake from the party I hosted for a dear friend last night. To be sure, I brought her a quarter of the cake today, and…Baking4 min readBaking4 min read
Oct 11Member-onlyWrite what you wantGreat writers can write anything at all, and it will be gobbled up by appreciative readers like me. — I’ve been struggling with writing on Medium regularly, even though I commit to do so again, and again, and again. Maybe some of you know what I mean. I have many struggles. One of them, however, is the whole figure out your topic and write for your audience admonition. According…Writing3 min readWriting3 min read
Sep 27Member-onlyI love the old men.So what of it? — When I was 19, I fell in love with a man 31 years my senior. And he loved me back. We lived together for two-and-a-half years and stayed close until his death at 83 last year. I left him because I wanted to have children some day. Also because in…Love3 min readLove3 min read
Sep 27Member-onlyLove who you love, and don’t let no one tell you otherwise(It’s no one’s business anyway) — It’s the mystery of love, isn’t it? We don’t love who we “should.” We love who we love, the people who touch us. And there’s no rhyme or reason to that, I assure you. When I was 19, a man named Mac McKinney used to come into Gallagher’s Bar and…Love3 min readLove3 min read
Sep 26Member-onlyStop taking the people you love for grantedTime passes quickly. Make sure your peeps know how you feel about them. — It keeps happening. I keep losing the people I love long before I’m ready. As if we’re ever ready. How do I stop taking the people I love for granted? Yesterday, I attended a concert in Napa with a dear friend. We met at his place and set out for…Love3 min readLove3 min read
Sep 22Member-onlyThe Joy of DanceI might as well have titled this The Joy of Sex — Because, you see, in my case, it’s Argentine tango I’m talking about, and it’s joyous indeed, and it’s sexy as hell. But what’s making me really happy about returning to dance is simply touch. I hate to admit it. It feels a little pathetic to share that tango is now…Menopause4 min readMenopause4 min read
Sep 21Member-onlyFor the love of a sheet panWhen the prospect of dinner terrifies you, reach for your trusty metal baking tray and relax. My friend Jane asked me for a cooking lesson. She’s one of those people who feel about cooking as I do about taxes. In other words, dreadful. As in full of dread — a fear and loathing verging on panic. A fear and loathing sufficient to blot out the mind. …Cooking5 min readCooking5 min read
Jun 8Member-onlyHappyHow George Saunders calmed me down — I wrote a short story this afternoon, for a new writing group I’ve joined, and I think I like it. And that’s saying a lot. I don’t know if I’ve ever liked a short story I’ve written. Oh, there have been parts. A sentence, a description, a turn of phrase…Writing4 min readWriting4 min read
