Suprise Me

Guardian  I never thought we’d lose touch or become estranged from good friends,   but sadly it happened.   (See The Gs and Malcolm)  But it seemed inconceivable that in our own family there’d be an estrangement,  but tragically that happened as well. In the early 1990s my sister Laurie married Andy,  and at the time… Read More

When I arrived on the Brandeis campus in the autumn of 1970, it did not have a student union, though one was under construction. We were the last class to use the old mail room. Our new student union, “Usdan” officially opened on November 1, 1970. The night before, with barely any furniture to get… Read More

One of my all-time favorite movies, Amelie, has a lot going for it…the enchanting Audrey Tatou, dozens of evocative Paris locations—particularly Montmartre—and the iconic Photomaton…a photo booth, the photo booth I borrowed and tweaked for our featured image. As part of the plot line, Amelie (Tatou) pursues an eccentric and mysterious man who collects discarded… Read More

After decades, I’m in trouble again. Read More

In the summer of 1961, I left my job in Harlem where I was working with gang members as a community worker, for a student life at Yale that catapulted me from clamorous chaos to hushed academia. Read More

I lack my mother’s passion for tidying up. So I have decided to embrace the clutter in my life and put my energy into things that really “spark joy.” Read More

One year the Native Americans even showed up. Read More

Celebrated the milestone with my own "Cool Girls Are 50" club. Read More

Twenty-eight years ago this week, danger came in the form of domestic terrorists striking Oklahoma City. Read More

Calling it a garden gives it (or me) far more credit than is due. Rather, we have a few spots bordering a swimming pool where my lazy inner farmer takes over.  When we moved into the house in 1992, the eastern edge of the back yard had overgrown rose bushes that hadn’t been pruned for… Read More