Category Archives: Autobiography
The Time I Was Almost a Ghostwriter
In April of 2002 I was flat broke. This in itself is not news; I have often in my life been flat broke. But in April of 2002 I came to the conclusion that if I wanted to be able … Continue reading
The Age of Innocence
Yesterday I heard someone use the expression “party like it’s 1999” – and unless I was grossly missing something, she meant it without irony. Back when this expression was in common use, of course, 1999 was in the future, and … Continue reading
Playing Catch with Condoms: Some Thoughts on Eccentricity in Education and Growing Up Female at the Tail End of the Sexual Revolution
A pink plastic case arcs through the air, soaring over the rows of coal-black lab tables. A teenaged girl ducks to protect her face but catches it like a fly ball in both hands. She opens the case quickly, glancing … Continue reading
A Blank Canvas: White Belt (Part 1)
My journal of my martial arts training begins on April 3, 2005, shortly after I received my orange belt – so my reflections on the first six months of my training will have to come from memory. The most prominent … Continue reading
“Who Do You Play For?” (How I Got Here, Part 3)
If you ever want to feel like a terrible person, try yelling at a developmentally disabled child in public. After I left my first school on that early-morning flight, I took a job for the summer as a nanny for … Continue reading
How I Got Here (Part 2): Day 7 of Medical Leave
By late summer of 2004 I had cried myself dry. Other women in their late twenties might spread their tears out a little more liberally, offering a few to family struggles, a few to financial stress, and a few (read: … Continue reading
How I Got Here (Part 1): Day 3 of Medical Leave
Lots of people will tell you that their parents are saints. But I’m the only one who really means it. Do you want to know how nice my parents are? Here goes. In the spring of 2007, I flew up … Continue reading