Feb 27Immersed, Gripped, & Harrowed: Books This Week“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. George Santayana’s words reverberated in the three books I inhaled this week (total truth: the audio book is still being heard.) Of course, these times in which we live seem rife with the above truth. Ethel Rosenberg: An American…Anna Sorokin5 min read
Jan 20From John’s Bargain Store to Lusting for ClothesHaving a fashion sense is (and was) no easy task for me — which is confusing considering that my mother valued beauty and being a fashion plate above most other qualities. She left the house perfectly coiffed and dressed beautifully. Seamstresses occasionally custom-made clothes to fit her quite perfect body…The Fashion Orphans5 min read
Jan 16One Easy Starter: A Million Easy SoupsJanuary 16, 2022 Food Big Pots of Homemade Soup made Super-Easy Raise your hand if you’re so sick of cooking you could live on dry cereal for the rest of your life. These days my answer is soup, soup, and more soup. Sometimes they resemble stews, sometimes chili, sometimes the…Easy Soup Recipe3 min read
Dec 19, 2021Can Santa Love A Jewish Girl?Some Jewish people grow up warm and secure in their faith, where the eight days of Hanukah don’t have to compete with Christmas. These are the Jewish nurses and firefighters who take Christmas Eve shifts to ensure that their Christian brethren are home for the holidays. Not me. I grew…Jewish Christmas4 min read
Nov 29, 2021Ten Unusual, Caring, & Artistic Presents For Family, Friends & YouT’is the season to do a million things (good, great, exhausting, hair-pulling-annoying) but one I find the most relaxing is finding (and recommending) small shops, artists, and craftspeople. …Best Of Etsy6 min read
Oct 23, 2021Nature, Nurture, Culture, or Imagination? The Thin Lines of Fiction.When you grow up a fatherless daughter of a fatherless mother, where does your outlook on family begin? Culture? Nurture? My mother worked hard, partied harder, and resembled a movie star when dolled up. My sister and I watched her transform as we three raced around, getting ready for school…The Fashion Orphans4 min read
Jun 13, 2021MFA or Folding Scarves? How 26 + Jobs Taught Me to WriteOur writer’s code, written into our secret writer club rules, reminds us that day jobs stand between us and a published novel. I understand. For years I thought if only and when and someday. And yes, working one, two, three jobs at a time took a big bite out of…Learning To Write6 min read
May 2, 2021When Lying is Second NatureMy sister and I are great liars. World-class liars. Maybe we were born with the trait (after all, our paternal grandmother’s top hobby was shoplifting.) Brooklyn-born Great-Aunt Sally (Jewish, like the rest of the family) pretended to be Catholic and French — and swore she attended the Sorbonne. …Lying5 min read
Dec 31, 20202020 Gratitude?This morning I woke trying to remember the day. Saturday? Ah, wait, it’s New Year’s Eve. Goodbye, 2020. Welcome, 2021? I looked back into my photos to see where I was in Jan 2020 (only one year ago) and found the picture above — taken at the Highline in New…2021 Hope 2020 Gratitude3 min read
Aug 23, 2020Dear Elected Officials Throughout the United States,Dear Elected Officials Throughout the United States, In my state — Massachusetts — Secretary of State William Galvin wants me to deliver my ballot in person (though I’ve already mailed in my primary ballot, so I guess praying for deliverance is my current option.) I’m glad to have the ballot…Protect The Vote2 min read