Review of a New Memoir
Michael Hainey’s new memoir, After Visiting Friends, exquisitely captures the magical thinking of a child trying to understand the premature death of his father. See my review in The Nervous...
Comfort Food
Tell me I’m contributing to the dilution of local culture. Tell me I’m part of the problem of rampant globalization. Then tell me, please, that everything’s going to be OK. Yes, that’s a mermaid on my...
It’s British, But It’s Good
My favorite Paris metro ad of the week is for McVitie’s Digestive Biscuits, a round, flat cookie made in England. The ad reads “C’est anglais, mais c’est bon.” It’s English, but it’s good. The...
Writing Lessons I Learned From Panda...
My nine-year-old daughter just entered two writing contests. “I hope I win,” she told me yesterday. “So do I,” I said. “But the odds are that you won’t. And if that happens, it doesn’t mean your...
Naked Perfume Hunk: Meet Naked Handb...
We’ve had a lot of guests for spring break. “You know what we saw in the metro station?” my nieces said at dinner the other day. “People without clothes.” I had almost stopped noticing. It’s...
Instant Parisian: Just Add Scarf
My three teenage nieces came to visit Paris for spring break, clad in fuzzy yellow fleece and sports team logos, carrying bulky nylon school backpacks. It was fun to see them transform into Parisians,...
Follow Me!
