Read it on yer Kindle
Apr 13, 2012The Kindle version of Cleaner Plate Club is out now. Personally, I’m kind of fond of the book itself, by which I mean the thing with pages; it’s colorful and very browsable, designed to be as enjoyable to hold as it is informative to read. Still, with the Kindle version, there’s no need to wait. [...]
Red ribbons, 1.5 decades later.
Apr 11, 2012A decade and a half ago, I was living in New York City, working in at medical communications firm. My company — one of those hard-working, fast-growing upstarts — published physician journals and organized medical educational programs around the nation. One of the areas we worked with was HIV/AIDS. I didn’t know it when I [...]
On storytelling and ruthless editors
Apr 06, 2012Once upon a time, when I was a fresh-faced college grad, ready to wow the world with my myriad literary talents, I wrote a manuscript for my then-employer. After the first draft, I thought to myself, “Okay, that’s done.” I figured it was good enough. It was fine. Time to move onto the next thing. [...]
Still running
Mar 26, 2012“So I was standing in the basement of a funeral home last week, looking at these naked bodies laid out on the cold steel tables.” My sister was speaking. She was breathless. It was an unusually mild Thanksgiving day, and we were running. It should be noted: she says things like this, my sister. She [...]
Where I live. What I love. What I miss.
Feb 28, 2012Mostly, I love where I live. I love going to a party, discovering that the person I’m talking to is a mathematician, and asking, “so, have you ever solved a problem and known that you were the only person — literally, the only one — in all of human history to have solved that particular [...]
On Haeckel and Crayola lessons about evolution
Feb 05, 2012In our house, there has been much talk about evolution. I have been trying to explain the process, the twin concepts of adaptation and natural selection, to Wee Charlotte. At five years old, my second child is profoundly curious. Each day, she asks more questions about the world we live in than I can possibly [...]
And this.
Jan 24, 2012Holy wow. This.
Loveliness
Jan 23, 2012TED talks may be a dime a dozen at this point, but this one — part of TEDxSF, on gratitude by Louie Schwartzberg — was mesmerizing. You think it’s just another day in your life. It’s not just another day: it’s the one day that’s given to you. It’s the only gift that’s given to [...]
On wilderness and grief and feathers and wings
Jan 20, 2012I’ve been thinking about this interview with Tim DeChristopher since I read it several weeks ago. DeChristopher made news by disrupting an oil/gas industry auction of public lands; he bid on land with no intention to pay. His action — one that earned him two years in a federal prison, a sentence he’s serving now [...]
Public “I”
Jan 20, 2012This week, an article of mine appeared on Grist, and an article on the book, with lots of quotes from me, appeared in USA Today. Different audiences, different spins on the message, more or less. The message is this: feeding kids is hard — let’s stop judging one another, recognize we’re doing our best, and [...]
