Last week, my son, Henry, turned four. Before he was here, before he was even conceived, he was my obsession. I hit 27 and itched all over to be pregnant. Because that was the next step. Marriage, job, cross-country move, house, baby. I would like to say that my biological clock was chiming with some [...]
From time to time, Fréd sends stories that he’s written in French for me to translate into English. In his third year of university, he’s working to become a French literature professor, and the course of study requires a few classes in translation. Though his spoken English isn’t bad, Fréd doesn’t see the point in [...]
A few months ago, I wrote about the advice that made writing a thesis feel effortless. It sounds simple, and I’m sure you’ve heard it before: write first thing in the morning. It’s something Julia Cameron recommends for anyone on a creative journey, even for those who are not writers. And in general, I think [...]
Erin Riley was born in Los Angeles, spent some time living in Maine and Boston, and currently lives in the Scottsdale, Arizona. She has four kids—two grown up boys (men, really) and two little girls. Riley graduated from law school, but doesn’t work as a lawyer. Her real training is in philosophy, but as everyone [...]
The last few weeks, my Sibyl inbox has been empty. I was tempted to conclude, “My work here is done. Everyone is fixed.” Then, I encountered a whole bunch of pretty flawed and twitchy humans who could use a good Sibylizing. Therefore, I’m going to provide you all with a little encouragement to write in [...]
Dearest Clara, Sometimes when I travel for work, I have that sensation of needing to get outside right then and there. Often when I travel, the routine involves heading from airport to hotel to office, and then back in reverse again, that it seems like I can go days without fresh air. It happened to [...]
What’s left when someone disappears? Only memories? What can the relatives hang on to? A sweater, a favorite book with scribbled notes, a shopping list on the refrigerator, a comb, a pair of shoes. Familiar and insignificant objects that suddenly become special when who used them every day is no longer with us. Not much [...]
The other day I was driving home with my son and the clouds were the most incredible shade of pink. I mentioned them to him, just as I mention interesting trucks or trees and red lights and stop signs. “Wow, “ I said, “Just look at those beautiful clouds! Do you see them Charley? They [...]
