Novelist, Playwright, Doodle-ist
2020 was tough. It has justifiably become our first numeric cuss word. For my family 2020 began a few weeks early when we lost my grandson just before Christmas. He was a beautiful young man who made everybody smile, but he was experimenting. A huge risk took him away from his life and from us. …
Today, my stapler tried to kill me—twice. It wasn’t just an ordinary stapler. This stapler was my friend, Red Swingline. And I had no idea she was pissed off—until it was too late. I was trying to get billing ready, which requires Red’s assistance. After all, it’s what I got her for. Besides, if the…
I used to sing. Years ago. But when I decided to have kids, I willingly gave it up. I wanted to be home with my girls. But I missed it. So sometimes I’d get the kids settled down (nap time, color time, Sesame Street) and I would go into my room, close the door and…
My gym schedules regular aquatic exercise classes. On those days, I have to get there at just the right time. I have to squeeze myself between the scheduled classes. Normally, that’s fine. Today, there was someone in each lane. Now, we’re required to share a lane if necessary, but it can be a tight squeeze….
I learned to swim when I was still in single digits. My family lived in Florida. There was a lot of water around us. It was a safety issue. Mama never learned how to swim, so I took lessons. When the swimming instructor told me to hang on to the side of the pool and…
If you ever have a few minutes to kill, try digging around in the U.S. Census. It forces you to really think about what went before us, how far we’ve come, and how far we still have to go. When I was writing Switch,* I needed to know how it would feel to search for…
This year, I’m having a really big birthday. Can you keep a secret? I’m gonna be older than I’ve been in my entire life. But this birthday’s got me, wondering: Have I made a difference? At home, I have this sign by my door that says, “You must be the change you wish to see…
Cynthia Rogan will perform her new play, Cat-a-tonic. Okay, so the director made me take the photo up there as promo for Cat-a-tonic. I was a bit resistant. But . . . here it is, just the same. And here’s some more about the entire show. We’re in for some fun nights and if…
One glance at my garden used to leave me gnashing my teeth. Weeds were everywhere. If one of my plants wasn’t doing well, it was usually sharing its little plot of the world with a healthy green squatter. From experience, I can assure you that no amount of cursing will kill a weed. I have…
Mr. Rogers died. Then came the story about how he was a Navy Seal and a sniper in Vietnam with 25 confirmed kills to his credit. And . . . the reason he always wore a sweater was to cover up his tattoos. I was shocked. I always saw him as a sort of bland…