Steve Almond, the guy who wrote Candyfreak (and how could a true candy freak be anything but virtuous and wholesome?), has an interesting piece on The Rumpus about self-publishing a book of one-page pieces that he couldn’t rouse a lot of industry interest in. What he’s doing is mainly selling it through his readings,making it […] Read More

Flipping through an old Allure magazine a few nights ago (I’m into Old Allure), I came across a breakout quote that seized my attention: “…il fuoco nelle vene….) which means “fire in the veins” and refers to living with passion. The story was about the style of Italian women, at least some of the more […] Read More

At the admirable Quail Ridge Books at 7:30 tomorrow (Thursday) night, Joe Ashby Porter will read from his new book of short stories, All Aboard. A Shakespeare scholar and teacher of creative writing at Duke University, Porter has earned many awards for his work, including an Academy Award from the Academy of Arts and Literature, […] Read More

My inventive and creative brother Franc Payne has taken a little old house on Core Sound, behind the North Carolina Outer Banks, and turned it into a magic cottage with big screened porches. He did it himself on weekends over a couple of years. It’s delightful (I painted a couple of doors myself) and situated […] Read More

An event high on my scale of domestic boldness: this afternoon Husband Bob and I moved our fridge and cleaned the coils in the back in the hopes that this will take care of a popsicle crisis. I am devoted to consuming coconut popsicles (up to three a day) of the Whole Foods house brand […] Read More

As I’ve often mentioned here, I have a K&W cafeteria lunch once a month with half a dozen people with metaphysical interests: Mystic Pizza. Today was the day and here’s the report from the lunchtime mystics (three of whom are pictured below.)*Instead of flight or fight in a moment of confrontation, try gently shifting your […] Read More

Just came from the final celebration of my 61st Jubilee. It was the winter-quarter birthday brunch of six buddies who have been celebrating our aging since most of us were in our twenties. One gift I received was particularly bold and imaginative: fresh eggs from Stephanie’s chickens. She keeps them in her mid-town backyard, as […] Read More

Last night Husband Bob and I went to see a live TV showing of Prairie Home Companion at a local movie theatre: a perfect celebration of Bob’s 68th birthday yesterday. It was sublimely good and completely heart-warming: a winning combo that Garrison Keillor produces weekly without fail. Here’s why I mention him again on a […] Read More

Recently I decided to sell some clothes on consignment. In the past I’ve taken my physically or emotionally outgrown items to the Goodwill. This new possibility felt to me a small enticing adventure. I grew up in the midst of the clothing business. My parents owned stores in Wilmington, NC. And I feel I know […] Read More

Still snowy here in the unaccustomed South, and we each have to make the decision about when it’s safe to drive. It varies, of course, with the vehicle and the address. To get from my house to a paved and cleared road, requires covering the long downhill curving driveway with woods on either side, followed […] Read More