They say that you don’t really know something until you’ve taught it to someone else. It’s true: despite growing up Jewish and going to Hebrew day school, there’s a lot about Judaism I didn’t know until I explained it to Boyfriend, who is not Jewish. Specifically, it never occurred to…
I don’t think I believed it literally, not even as a little girl. We chant it over and over, several times throughout each service on the yamim noraim, the Days of Awe. On Rosh Hashanah, it is written. On Yom Kippur, it is sealed. The verses refer to one of…
Gather round, haters! I’d like to tell you about a little something I call “why Pokémon GO is an OK thing for grown adults to enjoy.” Obviously, I’m biased. I’m a grown adult: I can legally vote, drive, and sign contracts; I am fortunate enough to be gainfully employed in…
Hello, everyone! I’ve decided life’s too short not to run around in capes and spandex and big-ass helmets that will probably make me topple forward face-first. Join me in my decision process as I decide to make a career switch to… supervillain!
Real talk: I have moral unease about pirating movies, shows, music, and books. Not because the corporate distribution systems are perfect — they’re not, and they definitely have neither the consumers’ nor the artists’ best interests in mind — but because the collateral damage to individuals and institutions I do…
I used to have a book that promised 1001 things to do. The title was slightly misleading: the authors counted similar activities individually. For instance, “start a book club!” and “start a mystery book club!” might be two separate items. They also often had the misfortune of requiring more people…
There are dozens of online writers praising Rebecca Sugar’s animated series Steven Universe, which is feminist, queer-positive, and generally amazing. Allow me to join them. Steven Universe is the comic, sentimental, epic story of a boy named, what else, Steven Universe, who is the newest member of the Crystal Gems. Said Gems…
Like everyone and their dog, I got into podcasts through the first season of Serial, a true crime investigation. I’ve always been interested in true crime; at least 25% of my inability to fall asleep as a child was probably caused by a paperback volume of Unsolved Mysteries that made…
Conventional wisdom has it that writers make poor household pets, but once you have the opportunity to observe these delightful creatures as close range, you’ll find their care offers the enterprising pet lover a rewarding experience. Recent legislation has made the importation of writers for private ownership illegal in most…
There’s only one picture book that I find myself turning to as an adult because I crave its emotional message. Don’t mistake me: I love a lot of picture books. I love their charm, their evocativeness, their wit, their simplicity, their complexity. I love some of them for the memories…