wake up and fight
By now, you've seen Woody Guthrie's "New Years Rulin's." The list lover in me is as tickled as the fan. Big surprise: Not much has changed in seventy years. We…
merry giftsmas and happy chanustuff
It’s 7:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve. The sky is still dark, and my dogs are snoring at my feet. My husband and daughter are away until afternoon. The last sip…
deer
My hands smell like deer. It's a gamey smell—wilder than horse but tamer than buffalo.I was thinking about deer today after having pulled out last year's Christmas card, a Hipstamatic…
paper
There's an old saying in the editorial business: If it's June, it must be Christmas. That's because monthly magazines work on their issues at least 4-6 months ahead of time.…
canned applause
It's no surprise that boost is an anagram of boots. Every time I wear the Frida Kahlo boots, bought last winter during a period of mourning, I get a lift.…
you’re the tops
Topping my list of writing devices is The List. Lists are bare-bones instructions, yet they are also the meat. They are written with an affectionate detachment. They mean everything—and nothing.…
[solutions]
If you're unhappy with Facebook's changes, don't despair. (Or do, but do it quietly, then take action, then share!) Help is usually a search-engine word or two away. If you're…
[uproar]
If it’s not mostly quarters, is change just unnecessary weight and an unsatisfying jangle? We’re used to doing the things we do the way we always do them. We’re efficient—and…
a bouquet of words—with a stamp: an open letter to jon stewart
Dear Jon Stewart,Mock all you want, but Senator Claire McCaskill is right. While, as the Jewish mother of a 13-year-old girl, I applaud McCaskill's public calling out of her daughters,…
beer, luxurious beer: what aleth thee?
The other day, my friend Bruce posted this funny-but-true joke on my wall:Leslie was drinking a glass of beer while outside with her husband, Marty.Leslie said, “I love you so…