Long ago, when I was going through a jarring life left-turn (le divorce from my high school sweetheart), I made a to-do list for self-discovery. Among other things, I wanted to polish my French and try it out in Paris, write a story that stretched me, make friends with my dad, take a literature class, [...]

Where to spend and save at local shops and restaurants this weekend: Black Friday means 20% off everything at Modern Manor, one of the best midcentury modern stores ever — and it’s here in Phoenix on the 7th Avenue strip. That rocking chair. Cusswords. Small Business Saturday works like this: register your American Express card, [...]

Last night, I went to bed in tears for a mother named Glenda Moore in Staten Island, whose two little boys, aged 2 and 4, were torn from her arms by Hurricane Sandy’s surge. Yesterday, rescue workers found them at the end of the street, drowned. Their names were Connor and Brendan. According to the [...]

I’m going to blow out an emergency candle on top of a granola bar for my birthday in New York City today. My flight home was cancelled and the city has shut down. The taxi horns have stopped. We’re left listening to wind. Even the chess tables in Washington Square Park are empty. Ah, Frankenstorm, [...]

New York is a shoe problem — all cities are. To San Francisco, I dragged a 50-pound monster suitcase which Tyson kindly maneuvered on the subway.  “What’s in here?” he wanted to know. Freaking shoes. Last week, I helped my friend Cindy pack two small suitcases for four weeks in Europe, so I figured I [...]