NAPPED My soul mate had one eye, one kidney, seizures, arthritis, high blood pressure, back problems, little to no hearing, the scar of a severe but healed abscess under his chin, and gingivitis. He got this way at a relatively young age and, for much of the life I had with him, I knew that I would be content when
Out of Egypt I Called My Father—40 Years After He Left On His Own
Out of Egypt I Called My Father—40 Years After He Left On His Own My father crawled as best he could, holding out a flashlight that blinded me when I turned to look at him. We moved together and with no one else inside the entry vein of the Red Pyramid of Dahshur, Egypt. As the guards assured us, about
Teta
My grandmother has worn black in bereavement for 40 years. Now, I think, she wears it for herself.
Meet Me at the Corner of Never and Now
This moment was impossible, but I am in it.
Love Can Bite Me
Love is a durable inconvenience. It doesn’t budge, not even when I will it far, far away in anger or sadness.
We Are Different
We will host you again, any time you put yourself at our doorstep. The door is always open because, if we close it, we choke ourselves in the smoke of our extinguished hope.
Hardships Over These Blue Seas
In one week, I lost newfound innocence. I learned new, hard ways that this world is cruel. Three things happened.
A Tall Cold Brewed Defense of Narcissism
Recently, I walked into Starbucks and ordered myself a tall cold brew. Little bit of room for some milk. When the barista asked me my name, I said the three syllables I’ve known all my life to mean me, this person inside this chubby little package wrapped up nice in silk and a trendy manicure, often in need of floss.
Thank You, Next
Thank You, Next The Old-Fashioned Way Soon the sun will set on this year and rise a few hours later over the next, turning news into memories and swapping disappointment for hope. Thank U, Next isn’t a boppy millennials’ anthem; Thank You, Next is the millennia-long truth. Every year, I give serious thought to a fresh theme or set of
The 13th Floor
On opposite ends of the thirteenth floor at 100 Centre Street, two juries found two defendants guilty of two heinous crimes. At the very same time on some of the past cold April days, these defendants sat across the hall from one another, each with a curved Dominican back and long black hair like paired parenthesis. Next to their