I realize fully that this title is not newsworthy. I’m a writer. I read voraciously. Ergo – I’m probably the type of person who buys books. Except, these days, I’m not. (Well, not really.) Growing up, all my money went to books and CDs because those were the things I cared most about (well, itContinue reading “I Bought a Book”
Category Archives: Misc
That Other Fire: Peshtigo
Growing up in a suburb of Chicago, I, of course, learned about the Great Chicago Fire. It’s a fire that many across the country learn about. After all, in just three days, 2,100 acres burned, leaving over 100,000 people homeless and taking the lives of over three hundred people. Historians still debate the impact ofContinue reading “That Other Fire: Peshtigo”
chah-muh-lee-on
I don’t remember when I first heard someone say never to judge someone for mispronouncing a word because they probably learned that word from reading. But it has stuck with me. Here’s the thing – English is hard. It’s, quite honestly, a mistake. It’s what happens when you take German people and French Latin peopleContinue reading “chah-muh-lee-on”
Tangible Goods
These days, the days of streaming TV shows and films and music, of ebooks, of endless scrolling on your social media platform of choice – it seems like there is very little in the way of tangible goods anymore (when it comes to the arts – there are still box stores full of…stuff). Which, whenContinue reading “Tangible Goods”
Da Bears
On January 26, 1986, wee little me watched the super bowl with my family where the Chicago Bears went on to defeat the New England Patriots 46-10. This was the heyday for the team with the likes of Jim McMahon and William “The Refrigerator” Payton and Mike Singletary – not to mention Walter “Sweetness” Payton.Continue reading “Da Bears”
Who doesn’t want more busywork?
It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of generative AI. I can feel my colleagues’ eyes rolling before the words “but the copyright infringement and environmental impact” slip from my lips yet again. (Well, not all my colleagues. Some are staunchly anti-GenAI, as well.) I have no interest in using it to “make myContinue reading “Who doesn’t want more busywork?”
James Burrows, Final Cut
I still remember seeing the first advertisement for a ‘new sitcom coming soon’ – Will & Grace. A show about a man and a woman – she’s an interior designer, and he’s a lawyer; she’s straight, and he’s gay. I remember being drawn to it – excited to watch it. Though I couldn’t have toldContinue reading “James Burrows, Final Cut”
Twisters
Here’s the thing – I love a good storm. Have since I was a child. I great up in one of those midwestern towns where the storm rolls in, and you can see everyone out on their porches watching. My favorite activity is to curl up on a couch with a comfy blanket, a cupContinue reading “Twisters”
Wonderbox: Five Brilliant Things
I tend to consume a lot of British content. Through this, I have also stumbled across some fun podcast formats. In many cases, the format involves learning about someone’s life through a very specific lens, which I find rather enjoyable. (If you have read past blogs of mine, you likely already know this – I’mContinue reading “Wonderbox: Five Brilliant Things”
Another Year of Camping
I’m not gonna lie – this school year took it out of me. If you didn’t already know, in addition to being a writer, I also teach writing at a small community college. Most of my course load is composition (those first-year writing classes that no one would take if they weren’t required to) withContinue reading “Another Year of Camping”
