Recently, a reader wrote that my first novel, The Polar Bear and the Palm Tree, screamed “self-published.” The one star out of five and the rest of his review confirmed that P. from Ohio did not really enjoy reading my book. Did this comment sting? Yes, of course. A little. But mostly, it got me … More In Defense of Self-Publishing
The bell rang twice. Rick Beverly checked his watch. It was already 11:40, time for the 6th graders’ lunch break. He had not seen the morning go by; Monday was always a busy day. Being lunch supervisor was not as easy as it seemed. Rick sighed, grabbed his set of keys, his phone and slowly … More The School Cafeteria
Recently, at a dinner in Manhattan, our friend Robert asked us what our favorite Thanksgiving memories were. My husband, Tom, was quick to reply, all choked up, that it was his favorite holiday, a time in his youth when his parents would welcome strangers at their family table. People who had no one or visitors … More Musings of a Thanksgiving Late Bloomer
The summer in New York was particularly hot and muggy that year. I was exhausted visiting apartments. The kids were with their grand-parents in France, John was in Dubai and would soon join me. We wanted to buy property in the US. The plan was for me to see as many places as possible before … More The Duplex
My appointment with May-Ling Chen, Singapore’s respected scholar, political figure and philanthropist, had been cancelled, rescheduled and postponed too many times. I was young, I was ambitious, I needed that interview for the magazine I was working for. I was convinced it would boost my career. I continued calling Madam Chen’s office every day, several … More The Black Child
