In the early years post-college, I lived in Bennington, Vermont. It was as lovely as it was heartbreaking. Where else could you go to the local general store and bump into the writer Jamaica Kincaid, angrily shaking a bundle of weeds in her fist (she was unsatisfied with the store’s window boxes)? Where else could … Continue reading
2013: my Year of the Dog. Or better yet, Year of the Daisy. Daisy came into our lives in late spring as a stray, and quickly made herself one of the family. Having a dog has changed my life for the better. There’s no other way to say it. I’m so happy she found us. … Continue reading
Recently I asked a group of Detroit food fanatics to submit favorite recipes and the stories that went with the tastes. The responses are captured in this mini-cookbook, Detroit Delicacies (click photo to download PDF). I’m eager to continue this idea a little further to create a full-length cookbook. Stay tuned! Continue reading
He was there the day we rolled into town, a mere 13 months ago. Back then he was a bit brawny, suntanned, with short brown hair. He looked like he might have been a cub scout once. I don’t know his real name. I just call him the Yorba boy because of where he lives. … Continue reading
Drive along any highway and a place will reveal itself to you. The way that Ohio folds into Pennsylvania, along Route 80 East, as the Great Lakes basin abuts the watersheds of other rivers that lead you into Pittsburgh, such a uniquely hilly city along three rivers. Here they forged the backbone of our rail … Continue reading
Detroit, one month later. When I first returned from my European adventure, I was irritable. Then mopey. Frustration was followed by resignation. Finally, acceptance. The five stages of re-acculturation. It was as if Detroit had saved up all its goodies for my return. Bankrupt city. DIA treasures potentially saleable. Teenager in my neighborhood violently raped. … Continue reading
When at last the war you’re in becomes too much to take and you’d rather be right than alive, comes the uprising. All of us have been occupied by forces that are hostile to what we believe in. Or maybe to situations that are untenable. Be it a relationship, a job, a place… we all … Continue reading
I’m going to blog about my Marshall Memorial Experience writ large… one day, one month and one year after returning home.Of course, I’m sure I’ll have burbles of thoughts and insights in between, but here’s where I’ll take a holistic view of its impact on me (and with any luck, the world). Not driving for … Continue reading
glossy&rowdy 