Last week I had a list-related freakout. I wailed and moaned and lamented. It was something to see, friends. “It’s too muuuuuuch,” I wailed. “I caaaaaan’t,” I moaned. Martha, being a sympathetic sort, said, “You must have a really long list.” “But that’s the thing,” I lamented. It’s not the length of the list. It’s the breadth of it.” […]

Dear friends, It was born a couple of weeks ago: the idea for a new novel. I was sitting at my kitchen table, chatting with a couple of friends when I felt it appear. It wasn’t a dramatic moment, but it was a very clear one. It rustled. “Ah,” I thought. “It’s arrived.” I knew […]

Dear ones, I’ve been thinking about change these past few days. Specifically, I’ve been thinking about its big white scary teeth. Last week, my toddler made a very amazing discovery: a toad. (Bear with me.) It was on our back patio, where we gather in the late afternoon to commune and watch the forest. Lila responded […]

Dear ones, I’ve been living in my heart this week, watching as some mighty structures crumbled and fell all around us. They looked so strong, didn’t they? Strong as the Capitol building. Strong as the Supreme Court. But they were flimsy all along. Living in my heart in the past days has meant taking myself […]

Dear friends, A couple of days ago, I was reflecting on the need to build some more exercise into my week. Nothing extreme: just get this old body moving around a bit. We haven’t been City Mice* for a few weeks, and without the constant incidental walking I do in New York, I’ve started getting […]

I edge into the beginning of my days very carefully, like someone in a movie trying to demonstrate calm in a hostage situation. Look, I’m putting my gun down here. Look, you can see my hands. I’m moving slowly. I’m talking softly. See? Eeeeverything’s okay, buddy. We’re all friends here. Because I’m anxious and an […]