Haiku Hike
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A Monstrous Boy
Want to listen to the article? Great–listen here! James laced a telephone cord around his mother’s neck and pulled until he asphyxiated her. I knew James since first grade. In fourth grade, he sat behind me in Ms. L’s class. He kicked my chair throughout the school year. My head bounced back and forth like […]
Return to Chautauqua: A Love Story 30 Years in the Making
Want to listen to the article? Great–listen here! When I was 21, I discovered Chautauqua Institution during a summer stay in a family cottage belonging to my sister’s boyfriend’s mother. My sister and I lived as residents in the charming summer home in upstate New York, part of the tradition where properties pass through families. We were […]
Prince Garden Apartments’ Swimming Pool
Want to listen to the article? Great–listen here! Bubbe wrapped me in a towel, baked in the Arizona sun, draping herself in the same green-ratted robe she’d worn since my first memory. Worried I’d catch a cold, she jogged us home from the pool, sprinting upstairs to draw me a warm bath. “Get in, Mara, […]
The “I Love Lucy” Experience at Chautauqua Harbor Hotel
Want to listen to the article? Great–listen here! I cherished watching I Love Lucy with my Bubbe, lying side by side on her shag carpet as matzoh ball soup lingered in the air. Those evenings with Lucy’s polka dots and my grandmother’s love have stayed with me always. And why I wanted to experience “I love Lucy” […]
Small Bladder, Big Adventures: Navigating Travel With Frequent Rest Stops
Want to listen to the article? Great–listen here! Are you the kind of traveler who needs frequent rest stops? Then read one woman’s story of how she copes (and gets her buddies on the road to understand the situation). As I boarded my flight to El Paso, anticipating a group tour to Big Bend National […]
Return to Chautauqua: A Love Story 30 Years in the Making
Want to listen to the article? Great–listen here! When I was 21, I discovered Chautauqua Institution during a summer stay in a family cottage belonging to my sister’s boyfriend’s mother. My sister and I lived as residents in the charming summer home in upstate New York, part of the tradition where properties pass through families. We were […]
The 7 Best Beaumont Restaurants: Cajun, Tex-Mex, and Beyond (Beaumont, TX)
Want to listen to the article? Great–listen here! In the heart of Southeast Texas, Beaumont surprises visitors with its rich culinary landscape. Located about 90 miles east of Houston and just 30 miles from the Louisiana border, this city offers a unique blend of small-town hospitality and big-city flavors. Known for its oil industry heritage, […]
Guest Post-Mortem: Is an MFA worth it? My six-figure experience.
One week in 2016 when I was 44, I decided why not get an MFA. Even though I already had an MA in English as a Second Language and a PhD in Applied Linguistics and was full-time faculty, I applied to Columbia University’s creative writing program, and let the gods decide. If I got in, […]
A Pumpkin Lover’s Journey into Southern Tier Brewery’s Pumpking
Want to listen to the article? Great–listen here! Pumpkins have always been my favorite part of fall. Though I grew up in Arizona, these cheerful orange harbingers of autumn helped inspire my own fall traditions. My love for pumpkins runs so deep that I once owned a Prius in bright pumpkin orange. So, when I […]