When I go home to visit my parents for the weekend, my trajectory when I first arrive at the house always follows the same path: from the back door to the front hall, where I …

A few days ago, a local TV newscast ran a story on the reaction of Italian Americans to Spike Lee’s latest “joint,” Summer Of Sam. According to the news piece, the film features as its …

It hadn’t happened for a long time – for such a long time, in fact, that I had begun to forget the horror, the pain, the feelings of shame. As the bad memories receded, my …

Every once in a while, when my friends and I have a refreshing hops-based beverage in hand, the topic of conversation turns to what we would do if we won the lottery. It probably goes …

I still remember the day Ronald Reagan got shot. I don’t remember anything about school that day – aside from the customary wrestling with long division, I don’t think anything notable happened in Mrs. Arrouet’s …

A few months ago, I gave up on my local grocery store. It pained me to do so, because I would prefer to shop at the closest market to my apartment, but after two years …

Every day when I head home from work, I walk across town on a major midtown street. I like walking for its own sake, and the weather has warmed up lately, so I enjoy tooling …

To my surprise, I actually survived my fifth-year college reunion. To say that I did not want anything to do with the reunion understates the case rather dramatically; in fact, I actively dreaded this gathering …

I avoided writing about the Columbine High School shootings for some time, primarily because I didn’t feel I had anything to add to what others had already said. I don’t have children, I’ve never even …

I am a cat person. As a little girl, I didn’t like dogs at all, because I hated loud noises as a little girl, and dogs tend to bark pretty loudly. Now, as an adult, …