Little girl

Late for school

Panicked moments

Before the bell drills its shrill peal

Penetrating classroom walls

And dissipating

As it stretches beyond the schoolyard

Little girl

Dismounts a rusted cruiser

When the faint summon is interrupted… Read full post »

My adoration has always been subject to my capricious nature.

Since I was little, favorites have been fickle. One year, my favorite ice cream was mint chocolate chip. I was absolutely devoted to that flavor, never cheating on its refreshing goodness with rocky road or vanilla fudge ripple. That is, u… Read full post »

Today I was running my routine route along a winding wooded path in a park near my house when I noticed an unusual amount of visitors combing the area in oversized yellow coats. It's a damp day in Southern California, so at first I thought little of the spectacle, chalking it… Read full post »

Once upon a time there lived an average-looking, out-of-work writer whose desperate, narcissistic and tragically pedestrian pleas for attention only confirmed her suspicions that she was destined to live out her days working too much for too little...

Gripping narrative? Not really, especially if the… Read full post »

Reading Cat's blog the other day about perfection, I immediately thought of my sister who could have taken home the tiara for festive flair. Once upon a time, my sister's domestic ambitions knew no bounds, especially during the holidays.

The most exacting attention was paid to her Christmas tre… Read full post »

"Look omie, it's a snowbody!" my son squealed from his car seat, pointing his chubby index finger at a kitschy, inflated snowman in our neighbor's yard. 

"You mean a snowman," I corrected, meeting his puzzled gaze from the review mirror for emphasis.

He appeared to consider my edit for a moment… Read full post »

As the holidays set those of faith in motion, another phenomenon becomes a driving force behind spiritual seasonal activity—extremist emails. I'm mostly referring to "Christian" propaganda since I have Jewish and Muslim friends who don't seem interested in reaffirming their faith or dumping on… Read full post »

Having worked on the other side of the desk for a few years, I've forgotten what a pride-swallowing pursuit freelancing can be. In addition to generating a brilliant idea, interviewing sometimes unwilling sources and agonizing over the completion of the piece, you must suck up to every ego-driven edi… Read full post »

Occupied with print media for more than a decade, I've been largely unfamiliar with the digital landscape, especially the blogosphere. Call me old-fashioned, but I find something comforting about holding a newspaper, magazine or book, getting information from a source that isn't backlit. So, it was w… Read full post »