why I ask students to write me an email
Dear Student, You may be wondering why I gave you the assignment to compose an email to me that included a little bit about yourself as well as a few key ingredients in the message….
Category: personal essays
your being
I remember certain features of the night you were born with complete clarity. I know the view our hospital window faced; I remember we went to get ice cream earlier in the day; I remember…
learning to see: my racism
I grew up with a fundamental idea that all people are equal. At least, that’s what we would say out loud, and I know that we believed ourselves. It’s easy to believe this when there’s…
excursion in uncertainty
Anna and I went out into the mountains on Sunday, the first weekend in May as a big thaw transpires. Last month was dry and warm, and even though there’s still plenty of snow yet…
remembering Maggie
There’s a lot going on these days: pandemics and earthquakes and societal collapse and generalized widespread anxiety. Also, online homeschool. But there’s been this other dark cloud in our home for over a month, and I realized a while ago that I wasn’t making progress on any other writing because I really needed to write about my dog.
It’s hard to write and re-write something that you know you’ll never get right.
perspective
Setting foot in remote terrain is an act of reformation for me. Before I leave I don’t see how I can make things better, but being out gives me perspective, a focus on direction. And…
with the band
“I never knew you played piano.”
perfection and mistakes
Later today, the band gets to record in a basement studio in an old historic building, grand staircases and marble floors leading to a retrofitted basement space. We did a mic check—literally to check on…
college bound and simple truth
Yes, perhaps it’s true that this is all good indication that we’ve “done an amazing job” and “this is what she’s meant to do” and, maybe even we’ve “been preparing for this moment” though I…