Giving Up

So, it’s that special day of the year set aside by the church for perfectionists to freak out about what else they ought to be doing, and start doing (or not doing) that thing like gangbusters for 40 days plus Sundays. They say “sacrifice” and they say “pay attention to what matters” or “do more […]

The Cold War

This winter feels protective. The cold keeps me tucked away. The snow insulates what looks dead, and spreads clean, consistent color where there were organic browns, pale midwestern house paints, and silver cars smudged with road muck.

Valentine Box

Hannah’s Valentine box: perfect creases, no visible seams or glue. Immaculately conceived. Little plastic mice perched on top, holding little plastic hearts. My Valentine box: clearly descended from a shoebox, the way a bird is descended from a dinosaur. The pink tissue paper I covered it with creases awkwardly. It was sort of like wrapping […]

Violence

There is my student’s sister, shot to death in a drive by, and then there are dozens of pretend people and people-like creatures killed on screen in “Avatar.” Thursday I read in a journal entry that my student’s sister died this way, and Saturday I was in a theater with elementary school kids drinking in […]