You can get a master’s degree. You can travel through 40 countries. You can confront governors and oil companies. You can edit the front page of a major metropolitan newspaper. You can start a news agency in Afghanistan. You can teach writing and reporting, editing and photography in 20 other countries. But you’re still a woman. … read more Even now
Category: Inheritance
Ancestry and DNA, memory, blood ties, what we gain from the past and our parents. The nonfiction book 1919 looks at people and events of that year in their convergence, as harbingers and initiators of all that happened in the century.
Noon, January 20
When the minute of silence came, I closed my eyes and bowed my head. My hands began to shake. And then I began to sob. I covered my face and held the noise inside so as not to disturb anyone around me. A woman that I had met just a few minutes before put her … read more Noon, January 20
Mark of the maker
The two women held up a large item partially encased in bubble wrap. “Where does this go?” they asked. I stared. It took a second to recognize the stained glass lamp – because one side of it was caved in. “It hangs above the dining table,” I said. “But … it’s broken.” I was running … read more Mark of the maker
Pictures on the mantel
They aren’t expensive frames. Plain black wood, the kind you have to sort through in the display racks at the drugstore, and check carefully to find a couple that aren’t scratched or dinged. After I’d put the two 8 by 10 prints in the frames, and set them on the mantel, I sat and looked at them … read more Pictures on the mantel
The Snowy Day
When I was very young, just starting to read, I got a book called The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. I kept it for many years, even after I was reading long novels with no pictures. I think Mom finally got rid of it, not understanding how such a childish book could still be valuable … read more The Snowy Day
Giving thanks in old ways
If your Thanksgiving feast leaves you exhausted, here’s an idea you might want to contemplate for next year. The Virginia General Assembly in 1770 passed an Act to set “days of public fasting and humiliation or thanksgiving” throughout the state. Under this act, all ministers of the Gospel were to hold divine service and preach a sermon “suited to the occasion” … read more Giving thanks in old ways
The 8-hour workday
In the fall of 1919, a massive strike shut down the steel industry. The U.S. Senate Committee on Education and Labor held hearings to investigate the strike while it was in progress. One of the 350,000 striking workers, Andrew Pido, testified: The CHAIRMAN. What is the reason you struck this time? Mr. PIDO. I strike on … read more The 8-hour workday
The orange road
In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corp built roads through many mountain forests, including those in North Georgia. An abandoned CCC road runs along the western boundary of our community, and it’s part of a long hike that I love to do in the fall. The CCC (pronounced “triple C”) runs along a ridge at … read more The orange road
A plea to Tom’s mother
Back in January, Tom’s birth mother said that she would be willing to receive a letter from Tom. “But don’t expect any response,” she told Lauren, the social worker at the agency who is our liaison. Tom struggled with how to write to her. How to thank her for enduring such a difficult experience, and not … read more A plea to Tom’s mother
Bonded
This is my son, Tom. Richard introduced Tom a half-dozen times this weekend. Each time, he said those words clearly and with warmth. It felt better each time. Tom realized that he’d never heard it spoken that way before. This is my son, Tom. The impact of these words sums up what became clear over the … read more Bonded