Oct 3, 2022I’ve Looked at ‘Casablanca’ From Both Sides NowIs Ilsa really in love with Rick, or with Victor? — The first time I saw Casablanca was emotionally fraught. I was in seventh grade, had just started taking French class, and was meeting for the first time my French ex-aunt, who sang along passionately to “La Marseillaise” in that famous scene. It was the night before the funeral of my…Movies4 min readMovies4 min read
Sep 7, 2022The Secret Ingredient for a Great Wedding Is a Wooden Dance FloorThere are so many things that go into making a wedding fun; first and foremost, the people. But in my opinion, the second most important part of a fun wedding is an active dance floor. I don’t know about you, but I pretty much never feel more alive than when…Dance3 min readDance3 min read
Nov 27, 2021Sondheim, Stage Kisses, and Connection After IsolationThoughts on Stephen Sondheim at the news of his passing — Four or five years ago, they did a revival of Sweeney Todd in New York City where you could eat meat pies, a main plot element in the Stephen Sondheim musical, right in the theater before the show began. My now-husband, then-boyfriend’s mother and grandmother had an extra ticket and…Theater5 min readTheater5 min read
Jun 28, 2021Member-onlyDon’t Start Monday Morning With Inbox CatchupA new week of work requires inspiration, not box-ticking — Pretty much every Monday morning of my career so far, I have started the day with inbox catchup. I never feel like I can put my head down on the week’s work until I’ve responded to everyone who needs a response, or at least made a mental note of which…Email2 min readEmail2 min read
Jun 21, 2021Member-onlyThe Politics Show I Watch When I Don’t Want to Get CrankyAn American love letter to the BBC’s Question Time — It feels like a hard time to both enjoy political debate and care deeply about political outcomes. Maybe this was always true; maybe each generation has to discover this for itself. All I know is that I love well-reasoned arguments and dissent, and yet I can’t stand watching any political…Politics4 min readPolitics4 min read
Jun 14, 2021Member-onlyWhat I’ve Learned From 2 Years of RunningTips for those of us who are not natural-born runners — First things first: I am not a natural-born runner. I never played sports in school, and when we had to do the mile run in fourth grade, I finished second-to-last at a time of about 12 minutes. (My eternal gratitude goes to a girl named Blythe for being 30 seconds…Running4 min readRunning4 min read
Published in Creators Hub·May 6, 2021A Simple Trick for Knowing When to Use ‘and Me’ or ‘and I’The most valuable lesson a substitute teacher ever taught me — In the past couple weeks, I’ve seen multiple tweets involving confusion about when to use “and me” or “and I” (including some would-be know-it-alls giving incorrect advice). As a bit of a know-it-all myself, this is my excuse to share the best grammar lesson a substitute teacher ever taught me…Grammar2 min readGrammar2 min read
Mar 12, 2021The Entertainment Getting Me Through the PandemicFour works and voices that bring me cheer — There are many books, movies, songs, and streaming services that have been a balm to me in the last year, but a few rise above the pack for their therapeutic value. The common denominator: they forced a change of perspective. 1. Yoga With Adriene There is nothing surprising or alternative about including Adriene on…Pandemic Reflections3 min readPandemic Reflections3 min read
Published in GEN·Jan 6, 2021Member-onlyA Photograph We’re Not Going to Forget for a Long TimeA quick tableau of white supremacy—how it started, how it’s going — Like so many images of the Donald Trump era, this photograph has the broad outlines of farce, but what it depicts is deadly serious. After storming the Capitol building, a Trump supporter stands on a pediment next to a statue of former president Gerald Ford; the supporter’s mouth is wide…Donald Trump2 min readDonald Trump2 min read
Published in GEN·Dec 22, 2020Member-onlyGetting Married in a Pandemic Helped Me Get Through This YearIn a year of uncertainty, at least we could take control of our marriage — My husband and I weren’t alone in having to choose between postponing our big autumn wedding because of the pandemic, or becoming one of those viral (pun intended) news stories about selfish couples hosting superspreader events. We chose the former. It was an easy decision, made easier by having plenty…Marriage4 min readMarriage4 min read
