If you’re here because you read my ‘Modern Love’ essay in The New York Times, welcome! That essay tells the story of loving my husband through severe depression and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). It captures a specific moment in time—a surreal visit to the Apple store, a locked psych ward, fear, devotion—but writing it did something larger for me. It helped me see patterns I’ve been … Continue reading Hello, and Welcome, ‘Modern Love’ Readers
I was diagnosed with scoliosis during a routine visit to my pediatrician when I was around 12 years old, and immediately burst into hysterical tears. I had just finished reading Deenie, Judy Blume’s novel about a beautiful girl with a twisty spine, and I was certain I’d be in a full body brace before sunset. In fact, my curvature is relatively minor, and required nothing more than monitoring until … Continue reading In which I am anally probed by a chiropractor and fitted for a truss, also, some thoughts on love
About two years ago I performed at The Jukebox, a storytelling/karaoke series run by my good friends Steve Jacobs, Margaret Lyons, and Steve Heisler. The topic of the evening was parenthood, and while the story I told isn’t the kind of thing Hallmark cards are made of, it is a love letter to my daughter, and so I thought I’d share it today. Happy Mother’s Day, … Continue reading Unexpectedly Expecting
My husband, Jonathan, and I both had the kind of childhoods where we were left to look out for ourselves a lot. Not because we weren’t loved. We were, very much, and also well provided for. But in the houses where we were raised, there were larger issues that needed attention, and those concerns took priority. When I was a little girl, my mother was … Continue reading Grown ups
Working Without a Net 