Comedian Jerry Seinfeld got himself into a little trouble a while ago for dismissing the notion that he should have racial quotas on his Web TV series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. His response, was “You’re funny, I’m interested. You’re not funny, I’m not interested.”

I received an email this morning which looked like a reply from an literary agent. Surprised to hear from her after so long an interval, I opened the message with my heart aflutter.  “Hello,” the greeting began. That no name was appended to the salutation was a clue this was a pi

Today marks 4 years since I began my blog, March 22, 2010. Since that date, I have ruminated 5 days a week on matters concerning literature, writing and life as it’s viewed through the lenses of my fellow writers. I began as a party of one, sending my thoughts across the virtual wor

I have a friend who is old enough to be considering retirement, yet young enough for me to feel free to offer her advice about buying long term care insurance. As she is a mother who’s raised children alone and taken care of an ailing parent, I shouldn’t be surprised to learn I wa

When I was a junior in high school, studying biology was a requirement. The material was interesting but one picture in our text always sent shivers down my spine. The photograph was of a toad hatching little toads from holes on its back. For me, the picture was repulsive. For my pube

 “…almost all critical judgment…is in the main built on prejudice.” So wrote British writer E. E. Kellett. (“What is Literature?” by Arthur Krystal, Harpers, March 2014, pg. 93) His pronouncement came as a relief, as I’d just read and hated two bestselling novels for my

Cultural differences aren’t our problem; human nature is. Wherever people exist, they take their characteristics with them, improving or tainting every endeavor. Recently I read an article excerpted in The Week that makes the point. The piece was by Pakistani journalist, Nadeem Para

I admit it. I’m old and my jowls are sagging, but I still enjoy fashion. In my youth, runway models were celebrities in their own right. Today, actresses seem to have replaced the super models. I’m not surprised. Glamour shines brightest at the nexus between fashion and stardom. T

A friend and I exchanged woes by email this morning. Mine were minor complaints compared to hers. Her job was getting her down. I sympathized, remembering being in a workplace where nothing seemed to go right. Wherever people gather, pain lurks in the crowd. According to Colin McAdam,

A friend and I were debating a story we’d heard on the news about an 80-year-old woman with a PhD who for decades taught as an adjunct at a university. Recently she lost her job and died in poverty, her body committed to a cardboard box. As adjuncts comprise 50-70% of college workfo