When I was a child, my father asked me not to buy the song Imagine. He didn’t want to give money to something which, in his mind, promoted the abolition of religion. This seemed odd to me; my father was… Read More ›
Places we’ve been
“Up North” in Michigan
When we tell people we are living Up North, they often respond, “Oh right. The UP.” But Up North is not the UP. The first time I lived in Michigan, I was in college and learned to use the top… Read More ›
Hamtramck, Michigan
In the early 80s, we lived in Detroit where we learned of Hamtramck, a neighborhood largely consisting of Polish immigrants, from friends who dined there. For us, The Detroit Years (1979-1983) were also known as The Lean Years; we never… Read More ›
Surf Camp–Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
“Surf Camp?” my daughter, Taylor, asked. “Does anyone besides you call it Surf Camp?” “Taylor, it says Surf Camp on my rash guard.” “Wait. You’re wearing a rash guard?” When my friend Amy mentioned learning to surf was a dream… Read More ›
Monticello and the Book
On a hilltop ten minutes from downtown Charlottesville stands Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. I hadn’t visited the house in years—decades actually, but I wanted to return and hoped to see the book. When my dad became ill, he… Read More ›
The World In Between 