A Glimmer of Guile

Trifocals

If you’ve ever run into me at the grocery store on the weekends, you’ll know that I’m not a particularly vain person.  I don’t mind looking terrible in public if…

Book Review — You Might Forget the Sky Was Ever Blue

You Might Forget the Sky Was Ever Blue By Michael Chin is a collection of short stories.  None of the characters in these stories seem comfortable in their own skins. …

Perfect Peace (for a price)

A few weeks ago I went to visit my son in his last weekend at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute.  If you don’t know what BUTI or Tanglewood is, let…

Book Review: Suddenly Stardust

“Suddenly Stardust: A Memoir (of Sorts) About Fear, Freedom, & Improv” by Joanne Brokaw is a short, fast read, packed with thoughtful and entertaining pieces.  On her 50th birthday, Brokaw…

Taking Up Space

At 6:00 p.m. last Thursday, I wanted to make a right turn from Ponce de Leon Avenue on to Peachtree Street.  If you are not familiar with Atlanta, I will…

They’re Leaving Me

I dropped my daughter off at camp last weekend. This was her 9th summer at camp, so it was a familiar ritual.  You’d think I’d be used to it.  The…

Book Review — Lite Whines and Laughter by Lee Gaitan

These days, it seems that if you want to be depressed all you have to do is open your eyes and pay a minor bit of attention.  Lee Gaitan’s “Lite…

Puppy Sitting

At first, puppy sitting sounded like a treat. My daughter’s friends went out of town for a week and asked if she were interested in puppy sitting their two foundling…

High School Cafeteria

The high school cafeteria, I think, is a good metaphor for most of life, and it doesn’t change when you get older.

Book Review and Author Q&A — The Unfaithful Widow

What would you do if your husband died suddenly and young? Barbara Barth’s husband was a large man.  6’7” and 270 pounds.  When he died, relatively young and relatively suddenly,…

The Scorpion Slayer

I was puttering around, as I do on weekend mornings when I don’t have plans.  Suddenly my daughter started screaming, “MOM!  MOM!  MOM!” in a manner which indicated that perhaps…

Book Review: She’s a Keeper!

Some people are just fun to sit around and have a glass of wine with.  Or beer.  Or sweet tea.  Lee St. John is one of them.  Reading “She’s a…