"What are we talking about in 2020? Kobe Bryant, Covid-19, social distancing, Zoom, TikTok, Navarro cheerleading, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylore, and...The presidential election. A country divided. Opinions on both sides. It's everywhere: on the news, on the late-night shows, in the papers, online, online, online..." -Elin Hilderbrand (28 Summers) I read an…
Whenever anybody asks me where I'm from, I usually say Pittsburgh. This, however, is quite far from the truth; I'm actually from a small town, a village really, that is called Fredericktown (if you take a look at the pathetic Wikipedia entry for my hometown, you'll see why I opt for answering any questions about…
Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft. I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right,…
Once upon a time--and not so long ago--it was fashionable for all lovely ladies not to know how to cook or at least pretend not to know. Today a woman can look like a cream confection, but she has to know how to make one too! Popularity in our modern times is reserved for those…
Peace goes into the making of a poem as flour goes into the making of bread. -Pablo NerudaAbout a month ago, on a frigid night in North Beach, a friend asked me if I cook everyday. While there was a part of her that looked appalled at the possibility that I did, it seemed there was…
Christmas eve is a special night. We go to my Grandparents'. We have dinner. We have yummy yummy cookies we munch on all night. We open gifts. We take pictures. Then we go home. Good night. Sleep tight. Let's hope Santa has a safe flight. - A six-year-old me I was at my mom's this afternoon,…
This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be…
"It makes one's mouth hurt to speak with such forced merriment." — David Sedaris (Holidays on Ice)Last time I think I was complaining about feeling like I wasn't getting out of the kitchen. Ironically, enough, now it's the exact opposite! After all, who in the world has time to cook these days? *big sigh of…
Dining with Dostoevsky 