A Little Milestone Today As I filled out the form that will empty the college fund so that Emilia can complete her masters in social work degree —  with a certificate in non-profit management, if you please. I’ve been filling out these forms for years. New York Univesity — check. University of North Carolina –check. Many, many checks. Thank you, Red Tent. No…

Ofeibea Quist-Arcton! It took me a while to get it right. O-fei-bea with the beat on “fei,” which sounds like “fay.” I practiced in the car. Felix Contreras, Yuki Noguchi, Neda Ulaby Such beautiful, musical names, they almost ask to be sung. National Public Radio hosts, reporters and commentators have long been Smith, Clark, and Brown,…

  IN WITH THE OLD The yellow pages are lying on the stoop. What am I supposed to do with it?  I look up addresses and phone numbers online. I check out services and goods through social media and bulletin boards. I consult yelp.    Actually, I’m not even talking about the yellow pages. What landed at my…

 I was filling up the tank, self-serve, $3.35 a gallon. (A “good” price at that moment.) I barely noticed 10 inch screen at the top of the pump. Out of the corner of my eye, I registered a message about the lethal dangers of texting behind the wheel. Then there was an “Entertainment Tonight” -type teaser about…

My husband, the information technology guy in my life, sent me a link to a new service called Kindlegraph — a platform that allows readers to get electronic books “autographed” by the author. The whole e-book thing makes writers and editors and agents and booksellers very antsy. And the whole business of publishing is in…

I’m in love with buildings — that is to say, beautiful buildings. Buildings that sing or shout to the sky or make me smile or sigh, or fill me with awe. I was in Los Angeles a few weeks ago, and was driven around the city by a friend who pointed out the old and the new.…

This poem landed on my ears today, a welcome gift.  In advance of turning 60, which is, it turns out my friends, is a big deal after all. Love After Love by Derek Wolcott The time will come when, with elation you will greet yourself arriving at your own door, in your own mirror and each will smile at…

This spring, I had the honor of judging the finalists in an international short-story contest run by  Teen Voices, an organization with the mission of “changing the world for girls through media.” Teen Voices magazine — a glossy print magazine written entirely by girls for girls — has been around for 20 years, so the…