LIGHTING A CANDLE FOR THE DEAD
Many years ago, I knew a woman who believed in lighting a candle whenever she knew of a life that had ended. Even if it was someone she didn’t know, she felt strongly about the symbolism of lighting the way
VALENTINE’S DAY MASSACRE, 2018
It was 2:19 in the afternoon of Valentine’s Day. The students at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida would be getting out soon. Maybe some of them had plans for Valentine’s Day. Maybe some had exchanged sweet texts
JEFF BEZOS IS SHOWING US HOW TO CONFRONT BULLIES
The headlines are about the billionaire vs. the tabloid. But there is a human story here that we could all learn from. If you were ever bullied in school, or in the workplace, maybe in your neighborhood, consider how it
WHILE HE WAS IN BLACKFACE I WAS IN BIRMINGHAM
The same year Virginia Governor Ralph Northam was posing in blackface (either once or twice, depending on what you believe), four years after Attorney General Mark Herring and his friend donned “wigs and brown makeup” (note to Mr. Herring, it’s
USING THE MEDIA AS A CONFESSIONAL
In my new novel, The Wrong Side of Night, the main character’s brother returns from the dead. Hale Austin was listed as one of the thousands on 9/11 whose remains were never found. When he returns, he is recognized and
THE EMPEROR HAS NO HEART
While 800,000 federal workers are wondering how they are going to stay in their homes, put food on the table, keep their kids in school, while many are lining up at foodbanks or selling belongings so they can put gas
THE WRONG SIDE OF NIGHT
My new novel, THE WRONG SIDE OF NIGHT, was born on a drizzly afternoon when I was walking my dog Gracie. I had been working on my mother’s eulogy; her health was declining, she was well into her nineties, and
THIS IS THE REAL EMERGENCY
In 1969 I sat beside my mother on a rickety bus, traveling through the streets of Manilla, on a “tour” of the things that President and Mrs. Marcos wanted us to see. I was sixteen. My father was, I
THOUGHTS ON A FUNERAL
It doesn’t seem like 14 years have passed since I sat in the National Cathedral for my father’s service. I can still feel the quiet heaviness of the air inside; there is a sense in that place that even a
THE ONES WHO LAUGHED
Is anyone surprised that Donald Trump verbally attacked a victim of sexual assault? The surprise came days ago when he responded to a question about Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony in a measured, civil tone. But it was only a