Baseball

“I wrote 63 songs this year. They’re all about Jeter.” Just kidding. The game we love, the players we hate, and more.

Culture and Criticism

From Norman Mailer to Wendy Pepper — everything on film, TV, books, music, and snacks (shut up, raisins), plus the Girls’ Bike Club.

Donors Choose and Contests

Helping public schools, winning prizes, sending a crazy lady in a tomato costume out in public.

Stories, True and Otherwise

Monologues, travelogues, fiction, and fart humor. And hens. Don’t forget the hens.

The Vine

The Tomato Nation advice column addresses your questions on etiquette, grammar, romance, and pet misbehavior. Ask The Readers about books or fashion today!

The Vine: July 13, 2001
July 13, 2001 · No Comment

Sars:
More suggestions for Very Confused Girl: If J’s mother won’t go to counseling (professional or spiritual), I recommend that she look into support groups for parents who have lost children. One group J’s mother (or …

The Vine: July 12, 2001
July 12, 2001 · No Comment

Dearest, all knowing Sars,
Okay, time for a really awkward question: a cousin of mine died about a week ago. I wasn’t greatly affected, because the last time I had seen him was 1985. But he …

The Vine: July 11, 2001
July 11, 2001 · No Comment

Dear Sars,
I feel pretty strange writing this, as this is not the sort of thing that I would usually do, but you’re a stranger and that makes it a little easier for me to unburden, …

The Vine: July 6, 2001
July 6, 2001 · No Comment

Hey Sars —
I’ve been reading the Vine for some-odd months now and it seems to me that you give pretty level-headed advice on just about anything — and I’m a strong believer in that sometimes, …

The Vine: July 5, 2001
July 5, 2001 · No Comment

Sars,
Regarding “Can’t Believe I Thought It Would Be Kind Of Romantic”:
I can’t believe you didn’t call this chick on her major self-esteem issues. She just broke up with a long-term boyfriend and then grabbed the …

The Vine: June 30, 2001
June 30, 2001 · No Comment

Dear Sars,
I am a sophomore in high school, and I have a problem.See, my friend “Lisa”‘s mother is dating a man whose son, “John,” goes to our school.John is a freshman.He’s a nice kid, sure, …

The Vine: June 29, 2001
June 29, 2001 · No Comment

Hello Sars:
Just a preface: I’m not a girly girl. Never have been. I’m more the type that falls into “chick” category — but that’s another letter for another time.
Here’s the deal: dammitalltohellandwhatnot. A boy is …

The Vine: June 28, 2001
June 28, 2001 · No Comment

I teach at a community college in a vocational, para-professional health program.I am one of two full-time faculty members.Our students seem to have unofficially (hell, maybe they did it “officially” and I don’t know) elected …

The Vine: June 27, 2001
June 27, 2001 · No Comment

Hey, I just read your response to the Missourian at college in California.
In order to stop people from badmouthing her home, she needs to show them something that they’ll find impressive.Knowing what’s important to college …

The Vine: June 26, 2001
June 26, 2001 · No Comment

Sarah,
My good friend D and I (we are housemates in college) decided to live in DC
this summer, in a group house with a bunch of other people from our school. While we got off to …