The Myth of Talent

Would you ask a violinist “How much do you practice?” or a ballerina about her grueling daily dance routine? Everybody Continue reading →

Cat-Sitting in Iowa City

Before leaving me in charge of her clowder of cats, Avis took all of them for one last walk behind Continue reading →

Favorite Surprises

I love having my attention hijacked, the unpredictable word engaging me. A rabbit running across a city street in the Continue reading →

Universality

Pain has no religion. Poverty has no nation. Disaster has no country.   All colors of eyes have tears. All Continue reading →

To the Seventeen-Year-Old Boy Who Vandalized the Holocaust Memorial

In anger, I want to shake you. The burning fades— now overwhelming sympathy for the emptiness of your still-growing brain. Continue reading →

The Good Boy

I talk to the dog who is a good boy. I tell him we had a great time today, that Continue reading →

One Look Can Change Everything

Dear Jamie,   I remember how you looked at me that day, the worst day of my life, and took Continue reading →

Small Despairs

It is the creeping coldness that penetrates the chest, a feeling of futility in all things. It is the recognition Continue reading →