LinkedIn
CART

All Posts

WOMEN OF WISDOM

The Journalist
I was interviewed recently for a feature article in WOMEN OF WISDOM, an on-line magazine for women age 40 and over. Their first question was: “What/who inspires you?”  I told them:“My first and most important mentor was my big brother, Jerry Rose. He was an artist and writer and became…

A WRITER’S JOURNEY

The Journalist
Maybe some writers can dash out a book with the speed of summer lightning. That’s not me. I’ve spent years writing my books. I started writing THE JOURNALIST more than thirty years ago—which may be some kind of record. I was at a conference when I heard a speaker who…

HOMETOWN

The Journalist
Something odd and wonderful has happened recently—I’ve been in touch with people from my hometown, a small town in Upper New York State—Gloversville. I grew up on Baker Street, a quiet neighborhood on the edge of town. My house was at the top of the hill and from our windows…

LONG ENOUGH

Aging, Life and Living, Pandemic
Everywhere I hear rumbles of pandemic fatigue. People are saying: we’ve been cloistered for three months—it’s long enough. I understand—I feel this too. I want to have my “normal” life back.In Minnesota, and elsewhere, restaurants and stores are starting to re-open—cautiously at first. Outdoor tables have small numbers of customers,…

TARGET PRACTICE

Aging, Life and Living, Pandemic
Sometimes it’s good to be at the center of things. Sometimes not so much. With COVID, I’m at the center of danger. COVID uses old people for target practice. When we first began to be aware of the pandemic, I called my son. We were supposed to visit him and…

PROTESTS IN A PANDEMIC

Life and Living, Pandemic
I came of age in the 1960s—those were my college years. I was in graduate school at UC Berkeley, which was the center of protest–civil rights and Vietnam. Now I live in “liberal” Minneapolis, which has become a symbol of police brutality and a lightning rod for mass protest. For my…

ZOOMING

Life and Living, Pandemic
Before this year, Zoom was a useful tool for business meetings. But ever since we have been quarantined, zooming has taken on a whole different meaning and function. “To zoom” has become an action verb. We have become a culture of zooming. While, we’re quarantined, we go to Zoom concerts…

OUR STREETS

Life and Living, Pandemic
I live in downtown Minneapolis, near the Stone Arch walking bridge, which is one of my favorite places to walk. But I don’t walk there now—too many people on foot and on bicycle. I can’t keep my distance. But the downtown streets are mostly empty—with stores and restaurants shuttered. The…

FASHION IN OUR TIME

Life and Living, Pandemic
We wear masks now. Our masks are often colorful. Even beautiful. This is the high fashion of our time—haute couture—a parade of masks. We walk our dogs with masks hiding half our faces. We shouldn’t dare go into a grocery store or coffee shop with naked faces. Sometimes we put…

OUR HOME

Aging, Life and Living, Pandemic
We are living in a difficult and uncertain time. My heart goes out to the many millions all over the world who are truly suffering–with lost lives and lost livelihoods My husband and I are more-or-less quarantined . We don’t go shopping or to any public gatherings. The library is…
Menu