The woman sitting in the coffee shop opposite me had once been my English student.  She’s in her seventies now and I am halfway through my eighties.  From time to time, she assists me with some of my writing projects. Recently, she did a final edit of my memoir which I began in 20

The man had fallen near an electrified rail of a Chicago subway.  Unconscious, he lay convulsing on the bare track. People on the platform above looked down, stunned.  A few whipped out their cell phones to record the incident. One African American, Anthony Perry, age twenty, made a

Recently, I sat down for coffee with a woman young enough to be my granddaughter.  I don’t have many acquaintances who are twenty-something, so, I was flattered to be asked to engage in conversation. Besides, I have a good deal of respect for this individual who is accomplished bey

To read the news is to wonder if the world has gone mad. Autocracy is on the rise, while democracies seem to be stumbling. To be honest, some democracies no longer look like democracies. India and Turkey come to mind.  Russia holds elections, but no one would describe Vladimir Putin

One of the low points in women’s history may be the discussion among Church leaders in 585 on whether women had souls. I’ve referenced this story more than once and as early as 2014.  Further research reveals details are cloudy about where that discussion took place but it ended

She wasn’t a Congressional candidate from my district.  She was a progressive Democrat challenging an incumbent Joe Biden supported. The incumbent was a moderate. He had a political war chest.  She didn’t. His ads bombard the airwaves.  Some were self-congratulatory messages. 

My hairdresser had moved away, a small tragedy compared to what’s going on in the world. Even so, most women know what it’s like to lose a beautician who understands their hair. Recently, I found a new salon and a new hairdresser. She gave me a great cut and shaved $5.00 off my us

Some people say feminism’s Fourth Wave began in 2012.  I see little evidence of it.  Frankly, I’m dubious that the Third Wave of the 1970s ever existed. That was the era when women talked of being more inclusive than was possible in the First and Second Wave.  It’s a laud

A discussion of The Lincoln Highway, a novel by Amor Towles, will air this fall on Just Read It. It’s part of the 10th anniversary of the book talk show.  Two local writers will be with me to celebrate and review the novel. Earlier, they joined me for a discussion of Towles’, A G

Write Away, this blog, turns 12 today! I want to thank my readers, many of whom have been with me almost that long, for traveling with me.  The road hasn’t been dull and I’ve loved your company.  But today, I’m taking time off to celebrate our achievement.  I̵