This year, I’ve been grateful not to be named Karen. (Who wants to embody a meme about white cluelessness?) On the other hand, I’ve never been thrilled to be named Nancy, either. When I was growing up, I didn’t mind it too much. I felt a kinship with the indomitable Nancy Drew, girl detective. And … Read More
Here in New England, we cherish every sign of spring’s arrival. (Even those of us with hideous allergies enjoy it between sneezes.) So it doesn’t surprise me that Russian authors, with their even longer and darker winters, honor it extravagantly. And while their characters experience the sunshine and new leaves, spring also drifts into a … Read More
Another bird feeder, that is. We live on the edges of a state park. So once the weather warms up, we remind ourselves every day to bring in the bird feeder at twilight. Inevitably, there comes an evening when we forget. We hear something clanking in the yard, and look outside, and guess what—there’s a … Read More
In February of 1938, my mother’s stepfather was shot dead by his stepfather — in broad daylight, on the streets of Baxter Springs, Kansas. Here’s what seems indisputable. Ted Roy, my mom’s stepfather, was walking home on a cool and cloudy Saturday morning when he spotted his mother’s ex-husband, Mike Giyer, driving down the street. … Read More
In his new book Chatter, Ethan Kross gives all due respect to the inner voice we hear as move about our daily lives. That voice, he reminds us, allows us to remember past experiences, reflect on our lives, and move toward our goals. We’re not quite human without it. But we all know how easily … Read More