The Portrait of a Tiger Mother’s Daughter
My mother threatened to make me walk thirty miles to a piano competition unless I played the piece she liked. …
Monthly Archives: June 2012
Nora Ephron’s Cheesecake Recipe
The talented Nora Ephron, born May 19, 1941, died yesterday (June 26, 2012) at the age of 71. She is …
Thank You, Alice Walker, for Rescuing Zora Neale Hurston
I recently read Zora Neale Hurston’s masterpiece, Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937). It is the second time I have …
Baby Robins outside My Window
A few weeks ago we noticed a robin in its nest outside our family room window. As we sat on …
The Seven Deadly Spelling Sins
Because I am a writing teacher and a former editor, I am constantly exposed to the most egregious mistakes in …
Dune: A Concoction of Myth
I watched a movie from 1984 last night. These were the highlights: Patrick Stewart with a mullet, clumsy fight scenes …
Comedy and Human Nature in Winnie-the-Pooh
The Winnie-the-Pooh ride at Disneyland is conveniently located next to Splash Mountain. This means, if you travel there with a …
A Lesson in Forgiveness from The Old Wives’ Tale
The Old Wives’ Tale (1908) by Arnold Bennett is probably a book you’ve never heard of. I hadn’t heard of …
Let’s Judge Some Books by Their Covers: A Book “Beauty Pageant”
I like beauty pageants. (The feminist inside of me just shrieked. She does every time I admit this.) My involvement …
Huck Finn’s Truthful Eyes
I once gave a presentation in an undergraduate grammar and usage course about the correct usage of “between you and …
