NOTE: This very important story was written by Jennifer Graves, a friend of my sister’s from high school. Jennifer is now the suburban MN mother of six. She captures a fundamental truth about parenting: We all want our children to be happy, stable and loved. There’s a vote coming up in less than a month …
My daughter is extraordinary. I know, I know. I’m her mom. But seriously, she’s the kind of person you want in charge if you’re going to stage a rescue mission. Calm, intelligent, reserved. For years, she’s been the adult in our family. Her biological father is a burly moose of a man who smokes and …
I was meeting an old friend for coffee yesterday. She lives 30 miles west of MInneapolis; I live 10 miles east of St. Paul. We needed a spot that cut the driving for both of us. That’s how we ended up at a Starbucks/Barnes & Noble in the Galleria, a posh mall in Edina. Or …
Author’s Note: Initiation was my first published piece of fiction, making the title doubly meaningful. It came out in Atlantic Unbound in 2001 and was drawn—as most of my stories are—from events in real life. I find myself nostalgic for the raw, confused girl I named Ruthie who was, of course, based on a young …
I am lucky to have a husband with the imagination to invent romantic, quirky new dates after more than six years of marriage. Last night, after an exceptionally long week, we went to Mancini’s for a drink. The full name of the place is Mancini’s Char House and you can find it from anywhere in …
I was in the locker room at my gym, wearing a towel and putting lotion on, when the phone rang. And because I recognized my book publicist’s number—despite the rules—I picked it up. She was excited and talking fast. “I’m sorry…” I said, moving toward a corner that I thought might have better reception. “You …
Imagine a world where the rich ascend in a glitter of opulence while working men and women struggle to feed themselves and stay off the streets. Where people are shunned for their appearance and forbidden to marry if the state does not approve of the partners they choose. Where religious leaders who wear long robes …
My ex-husband either couldn’t or chose never to pay child support. Frankly, I’ve never quite known which. He was in bad shape after our divorce: going through treatment for alcoholism on the state’s dime and unemployed for the better part of a year. When unscrupulous movers stole everything I owned, he famously flew to Providence …
AUTHOR’S NOTE: This post first appeared on Beyond the Margins, a phenomenal blog, resource and Internet community founded by a dozen Boston-based writers. I adore these people and their work. BTM is one of the best and most professionally-run writing forum I’ve seen and I was very flattered when they asked me to be a …
Earlier this week, I had some business with my son so I met him at an unfamiliar coffee shop in a rather gritty part of town. I recall noting (happily) when I walked in that the store was filled with a great mix of people: men in turbans having brisk discussions in some Middle Eastern …