Right out the back door I'm looking at a juxtaposition I can't quite reconcile because Phoenix doesn't see that much snow. Ever. The last time it snowed in Phoenix was 1998 and a whopping .22 inches of precipitation was measured.... Read more →
How many firsts do you remember? In your life, I mean. Your entire life. And how many lasts? Don't think too hard about it; this sort of thing can smack your head into the pavement and leave you with nothing... Read more →
Just now, at 5:30 AM, I read a post that broke my heart. The open and vulnerable expression of profound grief is a gift. It's like looking into the Grand Canyon from Mather's Point. First it's an abyss; it consumes... Read more →
Were you close? I lied and said, yes. I didn't have the right words to defend a profound grief that he didn't understand. He patted my shoulder and reminded me that this was my daughter's aunt, not mine. Her grief,... Read more →
On Thursdays, at 9:46pm the alarm on my phone scared the shit out of me for exactly one second. Maybe less. I might have lowered the volume but that would have defeated the purpose. On Thursdays, fourteen minutes before bedtime... Read more →
Rachel sat at her desk wondering when, exactly, her baby brother became something she didn't understand. Sometimes the disconnect was extraordinary, as if he'd slipped and let some part of that alien human loose in front of her. The result... Read more →
Every square inch of a very large desk is covered with paper. Stacks and stacks of paper, but so orderly, so neat. Each stack tidy as a brick, the relevant context and content of my life organized by brute force... Read more →
Yelena stared at the wall and nurtured her rage. Om Shanti, Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, Om... fifteen minutes every day. She refused to cut her hair, but clipped her nails to the quick. She was ordered to the shower... Read more →
I drove north to Starksboro on September 9 with no end date in sight. That's not me; I want concrete plans, or at least concrete foundations. I can improvise on that. The only concrete things I had were the drive... Read more →
Elizabeth performed her first airport pickup a little after 8 PM on February 27. Her mother mentioned it was odd seeing a mask or two on the plane. It reminded her of the SARS epidemic where some people wore masks... Read more →