Published
In the summer of 1943, my mother, Frederica Shoenfield, boarded a train in Ann Arbor, Michigan, bound for Radcliffe College during that wartime summer. Unaccompanied by her parents and knowing no one on the other end of the train ride. She was 16 years old…
That Old Shame-y Feeling
My son has started a new school. We have ventured out from our scrappy, woefully underfunded public school (one with amazing people, amazing mission which in turn gave ME a sense of mission) to a well-funded fancy private school filled with people that I was prepared to hate…
Personal Essays
For Sam Fuentes: Parkland
For Sam Fuentes: Parkland. “silence is the language of god, all else is poor translation.” ― Rumi Before the dust settles, before the news cycle cycles through yet again, before the next shooting captures our short attention span…
Read MoreI Take Care of Three People
I Take Care of Three People I take care of three people on a daily basis who are mean to me. I take care of my 91- year -old mother, who six years ago was still working as a…
Read MoreRussell L. Brenneman, a Connecticut environmental lawyer, teacher, and activist
October 14, 2016 Russell L. Brenneman, a Connecticut environmental lawyer, teacher, and activist, died peacefully at St. Vincent’s Medical Center, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on October 10th. He was 88. Mr. Brenneman was born on August 15, 1928, in Springfield, Illinois,…
Read MoreAbout Last Night
April 5, 2016 About Last Night I had music in my house last night, a jam session that roused the heavens. There was freedom, and harmony and joy. And it happened next to the Thomas the Tank Engine table. My…
Read MoreDeep Contemplation
March 16, 2016 Deep contemplation… Deep contemplation is always what’s in short order these days. In these days, of seeming world collapse – social, political, environmental – and social media pinpricks that don’t give you time to recover from another…
Read MoreThe Worst Mothering Moment Ever
January 20, 2016 The Worst Mothering Moment Ever There are so many, really, how to choose just one? The time I had to wrestle my tantrumming 3-year old daughter as the plane descended into JFK? The time I…
Read MoreLittle Resurrections
January 20, 2016 Little Resurrections The cry was deafening: “MOOOOOOOOM! MOOOOOOM! Something’s going on!!” Charlotte was upstairs getting ready for school. Her chore list includes feeding her beta fish Sammy Butterfly. Her yell jolted me out of my pre…
Read MoreThat Old Shame-y Feeling
October 26, 2015 That Old Shame-y Feeling My son has started a new school. We have ventured out from our scrappy, woefully underfunded public school (one with amazing people, amazing mission which in turn gave ME a sense of…
Read MoreBe-Screwed
September 28, 2015 Be-Screwed There are three diamonds and Bam! A hyper cube – jewels tumbling down and – oh no the scary Jafar guy says “THIRTY SECONDS” and I scamper like a terrified rabbit… swiping, looking, jewels explode and…
Read MoreVi’s Hair
September 27, 2015 Vi’s Hair Like the whole world, I cheered for Viola Davis last Sunday. Her historic win, her blinding honesty, her grounded beauty. It was one of those moments where we all thought together: this is good. This…
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