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!

Home » Archive by Tags

Articles tagged with: writing

Skye Loves Mambo
May 8, 2006 – 11:17 AM | No Comment

Well, it’s finished — in the sense that it has an ending. The issue, at a certain point, became just getting to the end one way or another, after getting sick and putting off dealing …

Appointed Rounds
February 27, 2006 – 11:11 AM | No Comment

At that time, everything went on foot, not just the mail: fruit, shoes, a mattress, anything you needed got hucked to you on someone’s back or in a wagon. Dangerous work, a carrier job, with …

The Subheroes Chapter 13: The Sultans Of Chop, Part II
September 26, 2005 – 10:50 AM | 2 Comments

At three-ish the next day, Lionel dialed the wall phone.
“Tell Marie she needs to come over,” Miranda said, and Lionel nodded. “Tell Marie to tell Diz –”
“Hey, Marie, it’s Lionel,” and he waved his arm …

The Subheroes Chapter 12: The Sultans Of Chop, Part I
September 19, 2005 – 10:50 AM | No Comment

One Sunday afternoon, years ago, Miranda took Oppenheimer II out for a walk. A big thunderstorm had just passed through, and at each intersection, while Oppenheimer II sniffed around, Miranda eyed the storm drains to …

The Subheroes Chapter 11: Sense and Sensibility
January 24, 2005 – 9:36 AM | No Comment

It’s looking like snow. Jenny hopes it snows; snow dulls the old smells, makes it easier for Rina to work, plus maybe they’ll open the bookstore late and she won’t have to go in for …

The Subheroes Chapter 10: The Ghost Is The Machine
December 13, 2004 – 9:29 AM | No Comment

Lionel and Tjinder are standing on The Driver’s side porch. Lionel is on the phone with Diz; Tjinder is shifting from foot to foot. He looks at their car in the driveway, and at his …

The Subheroes Chapter 9: Right Direction
October 25, 2004 – 9:24 AM | No Comment

Shelley comes out into the front office, glances into the cabinet, and snaps her fingers lightly. Olivia: “[Eyebrows?]” Shelley: “[Head flick.]” Olivia gets up and follows Shelley into the back office. She looks over her …

The Subheroes Chapter 8: Happy Family
October 11, 2004 – 9:22 AM | No Comment

Years ago, Ro Jin lived with his wife and three children in a little house on the canal. His wife Ro Fan was known as a great beauty, and also for her startling hands, long …

The Subheroes Chapter 7: Bedtime
September 3, 2004 – 9:18 AM | No Comment

Shelley told Olivia to sit on the brown couch in the office, so Olivia is sitting there, rubbing the strap of her bag with her thumb, watching Marie stick Post-It flags on a take-out menu. …

The Subheroes Chapter 6: Driver In Exile
August 23, 2004 – 9:15 AM | No Comment

Outside, the light has guttered down to the horizon behind the scrub pines, and the air is cool and soft like a sheet.
Inside, it’s warmer. A loaf of bread is sitting on the counter, cut …