Oh, Japan. My head is spinning, horrible images swirling. I will not say "like water." There is no poetry to be made from this tragedy, not by me. Inescapable. Except I didn't have to escape anything. Not really. Not like hundreds of thousands who did or did not. I can't imagine it. I have had … Continue reading Soft and Heavy
Category: Uncategorized
Reliquary
I've just added a new page to this blog: a place to keep the "things" of my dad's life. The stuff he liked (or didn't), or the things I most associated with him. This serves a functional purpose for my writing; it helps me remember him more clearly. But I also like the project of … Continue reading Reliquary
Olive You So Much
I invented pasta alla puttanesca. I swear I did. I remember fiddling around in my pantry one night in my mid twenties, hungry for something quick and delicious. I remember the can of black Colossal black olives--the kind you stick on your fingers as a kid and which taste faintly of metal and brine--the jar … Continue reading Olive You So Much
Rice & Eggs
Rainy Sunday morning, the first weekend of spring break, and wow, is it welcome. The rain and the break, I mean. Rain because it means the temperature is finally climbing back up, and break because it has been an incredibly stressful semester so far. We found out in early February that budget crises across the … Continue reading Rice & Eggs
Valentine: A Rant in Ten & 1/2 Parts
1. You're going to think I have a cold, dark heart. I was about to tell you about how silly I think Valentine's Day is for a variety of reasons, when Josephine walked over and handed me a heart-shaped Rice Crispie Treat saying, "I made this just for you, Mama, because I love you." And … Continue reading Valentine: A Rant in Ten & 1/2 Parts
Outsourcing Memory
In the last week or so, my mom has reconnected with several of her (and my father's) old friends on Facebook. I remember these two families well from my childhood in Kentucky. We lived in a neighborhood--a treeless new development of modest homes that belonged to transient families who had come to Lexington for jobs … Continue reading Outsourcing Memory
Now is Not the Time to Write
What was I thinking? I actually said out loud to some people that I thought finishing a draft of this thing over the Christmas break was possible. Likely, even. Apparently I was not thinking about Christmas at that moment, or of how my body always gives in to exhaustion over break, or of the kids … Continue reading Now is Not the Time to Write
Best American Essays!
Wow. I just learned that my essay--the one which shares its title with this very blog--has been nominated by Literary Mama for Best American Essays! I'm really kind of speechless. Thrilled and speechless. I hear you already, universe. I'm listening hard. And I'm writing.
Of Fruitcake and Family
The fruitcake is all gone, and I ate most of it myself. I hadn't *really* meant to horde it, despite my cheeky threats to do exactly that. No, I planned to share it with the kids and Paul, to slice it off and offer it to friends dropping by over the holidays. Except that we … Continue reading Of Fruitcake and Family
What’s it Worth?
I am sitting on the couch, watching (my boyfriend) Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, watching him drool over cassoulet and blood sausage and foie gras prepared six different ways to Sunday, and it's making me feel snacky. I really want some cheese. More specifically, I either want hunks of extra sharp New York cheddar on Triscuits … Continue reading What’s it Worth?
Sheila squillante 