Last week I had a list-related freakout. I wailed and moaned and lamented. It was something to see, friends. “It’s too muuuuuuch,” I wailed. “I caaaaaan’t,” I moaned. Martha, being a sympathetic sort, said, “You must have a really long list.” “But that’s the thing,” I lamented. It’s not the length of the list. It’s the breadth of it.” […]
What to do with your newborn creative idea
Dear friends, It was born a couple of weeks ago: the idea for a new novel. I was sitting at my kitchen table, chatting with a couple of friends when I felt it appear. It wasn’t a dramatic moment, but it was a very clear one. It rustled. “Ah,” I thought. “It’s arrived.” I knew […]
The Joy of Getting to Zero
Dear ones, What’s the best term for friends who have become family? Friemilies? Famends? Anyway, Julie is one of my those. We haven’t seen each other since before the pandemic, and this year she flew across the country with her eight-year-old son to be with us for her birthday. That night, we curled up on the […]
Toads with Teeth: on talking to our fears
Dear ones, I’ve been thinking about change these past few days. Specifically, I’ve been thinking about its big white scary teeth. Last week, my toddler made a very amazing discovery: a toad. (Bear with me.) It was on our back patio, where we gather in the late afternoon to commune and watch the forest. Lila responded […]
A Radical Heart
Dear ones, I’ve been living in my heart this week, watching as some mighty structures crumbled and fell all around us. They looked so strong, didn’t they? Strong as the Capitol building. Strong as the Supreme Court. But they were flimsy all along. Living in my heart in the past days has meant taking myself […]
Time cram
Dear friends, A couple of days ago, I was reflecting on the need to build some more exercise into my week. Nothing extreme: just get this old body moving around a bit. We haven’t been City Mice* for a few weeks, and without the constant incidental walking I do in New York, I’ve started getting […]
