Sometimes it takes a giant prehistoric turtle to appreciate your mother. It started with an article in The Washington Post about paleontologists discovering the remnants of a prehistoric turtle that lived in South America ten million years ago. The fossil shell was 9.5 feet long. They estimate the turtle weighed up to 1.25 tons. The … Continue reading Lesson: My Mother, the Turtle Conqueror
In the Field: Writer Shelley Explores Heart-Stopping Cold and Near Drowning
Writer Shelley, my alter ego, is braver than I. When challenged, Writer Shelley steps up in the name of writerly research whereas I might just leave. So when faced with a frigid ocean, a (very) high tide crashing in, and a never-used snorkeling mask and fins, I channeled Writer Shelley. Because there was no way … Continue reading In the Field: Writer Shelley Explores Heart-Stopping Cold and Near Drowning
Book Review: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Read This Book if —you’ve ever felt as though you were from two different worlds.—your best friends are closer than your family.—you’re always able to see both sides of an issue.—you’re of mixed descent.—you’re interested in the Vietnam War.—you’d like to better understand what it feels like to be an immigrant. Life Question This Book … Continue reading Book Review: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Lesson: Brown, The Color Kittens, and the Year of the Ox
Brown It was the first thing people commented on when they saw photos of our new house: the awful paint colors. “That paint!” “Those bold choices!” Every room was a different color, more intense than the one before. Sixteen-foot walls painted rust red, clementine orange, forest green, lapis blue. And the baseboard and molding were … Continue reading Lesson: Brown, The Color Kittens, and the Year of the Ox