For any parent who loves an adult child who has ever been incarcerated, I’m writing this for you. For anyone whose adult child experiences mental illness and addiction. For anyone who has […]
My Son Is in Jail During the Pandemic
At The Root: Hair Envy
The downside of all the Zoom conferences I’ve been on lately is my renewed focus on my hair. I’ve been self-conscious about my hair loss for years now. I have friends who think bald men are sexy but no one I know thinks balding women are.
4th of July 2020: Interdependence Day
July 4th was a big deal in the provincial little New York town my husband Rick and I affectionately called Cornball. Cornwall is a hotbed of Revolutionary War history. The Continental […]
Desperately Seeking Advice
I have always been a sucker for advice columns. I began reading “Dear Abby” as a child. The column could be found on the same page as the comics, crossword puzzle, and […]
How Can We Use Social Media Better?
During the Black Lives Matter protests immediately after the killing of George Floyd, I was posting much, much less on social media than I’m used to. Normally, I post at least once […]
500 Lifetimes and Trying to Find My Own
I was looking for comfort of some kind when I read a friend and fellow writer’s post. He wrote that this is something that I am “500 lifetimes away from understanding.” He was saying it to the world, to white people, but I took it personally. I hope that was his intention because it is changing me. Maybe trying to understand isn’t the best goal. Maybe taking it personally is a better one.
Black Writers, White Privilege
So many white privileged people have been telling me that I too am privileged. While I am willing to acknowledge this truth, my question for them is Now what? Surely acknowledgment can’t […]
My Last Bikini
Once upon a time I was a new mother. It was before body positivity, before athletes and models came in all shapes and sizes (though I admit we still have a long […]
Social Distancing and Swiping Right
I picked a hell of a time to start dating again. Ending a nearly seven-year relationship with my former partner, Alex, was hard enough, as was the discussion of whether or not […]
To Mask, or Not to Mask?
This made me wonder if, at some point, we’re going to become a society of “the masked vs. the unmasked.” If so, how will we be viewed? Will the masked be applauded? Ostracized? And will the opposite happen to the unmasked? Which way is society going to go?
