My Life
It will make you fat.
There have been so many great moments on this trip to California but this one was more complex than most. My daughter flew down from college to join me for a couple days and we set off on foot to explore the previously-mentioned exclusive town of my birth. After a...
In fairness to California…
At least one reader objected to my lampooning of the fine state of California, which I really do love and appreciate (or I wouldn’t be choosing to vacation here as opposed to any number of places in Hawaii which could be equally conducive to creativity). And, I WAS...
California vs. Hawaii- my take on things
I’m in California, long known as the Fruit n’ Nut Belt. Only I’m in the Yuppie end of things—without naming names, a town where Morgan Stanley looms over the Pilates Center next to Gucci, and the average per capita is probably more than most third world countries make...
No Snakes in Hawaii
My daughter’s snake is named Monty, and of course he is a python. She wears him twined around her neck and peeking out of her hair, an unnerving Egyptian necklace. “He’s grumpy today,” she said to me on the phone. “Grumpy. What does grumpy look like?” “He gets kind of...
Smoke Meat
Every Sunday, cardboard signs with hand-lettered arrows and SMOKE MEAT on them appear around our neighborhood. I find these signs both interesting and confusing. As a writer, I’m especially irritated by the missing “D,” and in general I’m just very curious. The signs...
Olga, Svetlana and Nikita- happy in their gulag
“These are the best eggs I’ve ever tasted,” my visiting friend said. “Yeah, and look at the color,” I held up the hard boiled yolk, a vivid orange marked by toothmarks (mine). It could be that hunger is the best seasoning; we were at the end of a strenuous hike and...
A charm against suicide
I’ve been thinking about dying lately. Not the act of dying; not me personally dying, or even those close to me dying necessarily. Just this: everybody dies. All the great paintings, deep writings, fabulous carvings, fiery passions, sorrows and songs that have gone...
My Writing
The myth of more time and getting sh*t done
Sometimes less time is more, especially as a writer or artist. These creative endeavors seem to come built in with procrastionation, distractibility, self sabotage and other wastage. I recently tried to shed some of my work to make more time for my writing, but it...
Retreat treat part 2- what to do when you get there
What to do when you get to your retreat: Create an entry ritual. Light that candle, toss a leaf in the air, sit quietly and breathe. Or do all three. Read something inspiring. Write or draw what you are hoping for from the retreat. Pray. Meditate. Sing. Do something...
Retreat treat! (a two-part essay)
All my adult life I’ve been someone who retreats. A retreater, if you will. a (1) : an act or process of withdrawing especially from what is difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable (2) : the process of receding from a position or state attained <the retreat of a...
Powerful titles
The Lord of the Rings-Tolkien The Pillars of the Earth- Ken Follett Atlas Shrugged- Ayn Rand Where the Sidewalk Ends- Shel Silverstein The Long, Dark Teatime of the Soul- Douglas Adams The Deep End of the Ocean- Jacquleyn Mitchard Like Water for Chocolate- Laura...
You know you're a writer when. . .
I have a friend who's normal. I know, I know, is anyone really? A philosophical question I never meant to tackle. Well, at least, in my world of working with everything from autism to schizophrenia, she's just a little neurotic which hardly counts. We like to walk...
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