To A.A.: The weather

Dear A.A., It's hot here. Of course, "hot" here is absolutely heavenly, compared to the hot I endured for 30 years in that-state-we-shall-not-name. "Hot" here means I can still wear jeans and lightweight long sleeves, and I won't feel like signing my soul over to some ice demon, or bathing in 64 ounce Slurpees. I…

To A.A.: edamame

Dear A.A., I wanted to write you fanciful stories, and write about the experiences of my life.And my siblings'.And my parents', and children's.I wanted to write all about my dreams, how they shift and curve and funhouse-reflect my waking life woes and worries. I wanted to do that, but I don't know how. Instead I…

“Small Kindnesses”

I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walkdown a crowded aisle, people pull in their legsto let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”when someone sneezes, a leftoverfrom the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.And sometimes, when you spill lemonsfrom your grocery bag, someone else will help youpick them up. Mostly,…

Trans Americans are Americans

"Republicans have made it clear that their number one legislative and cultural priority is the “eradication of transgenderism from public life,” as was stated by Daily Wire host Michael Knowles ...he made it clear that transgender people have no place in public life in any way shape or form and that the full force of…

“To praise despair is to condemn delight”

"The trouble is that we have a bad habit, encouraged by pedants and sophisticates, of considering happiness as something rather stupid. Only pain is intellectual, only evil interesting. This is the treason of the artist: a refusal to admit the banality of evil and the terrible boredom of pain. If you can't lick 'em, join…

“Take the donuts” – regarding feeling cringey about accepting help or money

"Thoreau wrote in painstaking detail about how he chose to remove himself from society to live by his own means in a little ten-by-fifteen-foot hand-hewn cabin on the side of a pond. What he left out of Walden, though, was the fact that the land he built on was borrowed from his wealthy neighbor, that…

Cervantes, feminism, and “you could say that his obstinacy killed him”

I shared this image with friends online, and it got a nice exchange going. My friend Jules: There’s a Jewish story in the Talmud similar to this too. “I am in love w this woman! I will die if I cannot have her!” Jewish elders: “So die then” “What if I just kissed her?” JE:…

Holyshit…hormones affect ADHD.

So, I listened to part of a podcast today, and learned some things. Here's the story. Catieosaurus, a great ADHD+ YouTuber, had an ovary removed (ovarian torsion), and the doctor mentioned generally there may be some side effects because hormone changes. But it wasn't just "some side effects", her ability to learn lines - she…

TW/CW: Death and grief

There’s a grief that can’t be spokenThere’s a pain goes on and onEmpty chairs at empty tablesNow my friends are dead and gone… In shows, they wait for the call, in that absolutely eternal, that never ending agony of having no path. No action. Just mercilessly helpless waiting. But then the call comes, and they…

Grief for the holidays

All this is a bummer, and about grief. Skip if you don't feel up to it. So! This was the worst lead-up to, and experience of, a holiday I've ever had. I'm relieved it's over. The kids were fantastic. Sean was supportive. My Mom and Lucy were in the boat with me. All of that…