by Sara Etgen-Baker In the two days since my arrival, Granddad and I exchanged only a few predictable, cursory words. “Here’s your cereal; no milk, right?” “Right, Granddad. Thanks.” “You sleep okay?” Although his silent house had kept me awake, I respectfully replied, “Yes sir. I did,” followed by, “How ‘bout you?” “I’m old: I […]
memoir
September 13 – Photos Fade
by Martha SlavinI turned the pages of an old photo album that my mother had kept of our trip to England and France the summer after my dad died. The photos had faded so much that they almost look like watercolors. I remembered how the tour gave my mother a lift back into life after […]
September 6 – The Best Labor Day Present
by Kalí Rourke My husband’s birthday often falls on Labor Day (although this year it is after the holiday) and the family lovingly teases his mom about “really celebrating Labor Day right!” She has nodded and smiled ruefully over the years, looking with pride at the three wonderful children she brought into the world. She devoted […]
August 5 – Turning Pointe
by Sara Etgen-Baker “Point your feet! Rotate! Don’t stick your butts out! Stay out of your heels.” I looked up from where I was sitting. There was no music; only the thump-thud sound of the dancers en pointe and the ballet master shouting. “Dance to the tips of your fingers and toes! Plié! Spot!” Ann obeyed, […]
July 27 – My Novel and the Polish Trolls
by Fran Hawthorne How could anyone object to my Twitter post on March 29, after my sister and I visited the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Manhattan to see an exhibit of long-hidden photos from the Lodz ghetto in Poland? I wrote: Henryk Ross’s chilling photos from inside the Lodz ghetto in Nazi #Poland at […]
July 20 – Bluer Than Robin’s Eggs
by Ariela Zucker “As I remember your eyes, Were bluer than robin’s eggs.” Joan Baez – Diamond and Rust. I watched them for almost three weeks, a couple of robins building their nest. They flew around the front yard for a while. Checked the grassy lawn for its offering of forage. Perhaps consulted with the […]