Spring in Paris
In Paris, the most exuberant signal that spring has finally arrived are the chestnut trees in full bloom.
Read More »
Poetry Sunday:
“Discussing Useful Life at the Tax Depreciation Seminar I Remember a Line by David Baker,” by Jeanne Wagner
This poem was conceived during my last year working as an accountant. The partners had flown in an expert from New York who was presenting very sketchy strategies for shortening the useful life of assets, thereby increasing the deductions.
Read More »
Retiring and Unretiring: Blessing or Curse?
A feeling of purpose is not a need that can be put to rest with retirement. Many people of retirement age are choosing to delay it or even go back into the workforce after retiring.
Read More »
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Mother
All of a sudden, I recognized the wisdom of the Windsors' concept of "the heir and the spare." Not that any child of ours would reap royal rewards. But it would certainly have softened the blow to have another child or two to focus on once my baby was gone.
Read More »
Vanity Causes a Spring Cold
I did not take any of my usual precautions when flying since this was such a quick trip. No Borelium, no Purell, no Clorox, no gloves, and no mask. By the following Wednesday, I knew I was dealing with the start of a nasty spring cold.
Read More »
Poetry Sunday: “Sin,” by Forough Farrokhzad
Forough Farrokhzad wrote when, as now, Iranian women faced deeply-rooted and widespread discrimination and prejudice, and she is widely regarded as Iran’s leading women poet and an advocate for women’s liberation and independence everywhere.
Read More »
Unfaithful Women: Understanding Female Infidelity
There is no typical cheating wife, and while there are common reasons why they stray, it takes many different forms.
Read More »
Women Behind the Camera: 11 Documentaries on Netflix
The one area in film production where women seem to hold their own is in documentaries. Here are 11 documentaries by talented, visionary female directors. Some tell stories that are better told by women; some just tell good stories.
Read More »
Poetry Sunday: Four poems from Less Like a Dove
by Agi Mishol
How can poetry so particular to Agi Mishol’s life—down to the name of the doctor who treated her father—touch mine so deeply?
Read More »
When It’s the Man With the Low Libido
The cliché of the wife who puts off her husband, pleading that she has a “headache,” is well known. However, many men suffer from low libido as well.
Read More »
Charlotte Rampling Will Break Your Heart in Hannah
Charlotte Rampling, still striking at 72, brings drama to Hannah's lonely days and transforms an achingly average woman into a tragic figure.
Read More »
Spring Training for Body Renovation
We often associate the term “spring training” with baseball. More than a few women look at spring training in a slightly different way.
Read More »
Poetry Sunday: “The Dress Code” and “Wish,” by Caitlin Doyle
Both poems this week are in form, and together they help make a point I’ve been pushing for some time in these columns: form can set you free in your writing and reading of poetry.
Read More »
Unconditional Love: A Wise Grandmother’s Advice
Being a grandparent is a tricky process nonetheless, but if you navigate it right, the joys are bountiful.
Read More »
The Leisure Seeker: A Disappointing Trip Down Memory Lane
Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland set off on an internal journey, in which they learn more about themselves and their relationship. The idea of one last adventure is bittersweet and romantic. With our aging population and the challenges of adult caregiving, the situation is timely.
Read More »
Is It Depression or Menopause?
Dr. Megan Riddle provides a thoughtful discussion of depression and the menopausal transition that will be helpful for women who need more than just a lifestyle change, meditation, exercise, or even hormone therapy for control of depression.
Read More »
Poetry Sunday: “The Streaming,” by Elizabeth Spires
The poem’s intent is not to complain about or wish relief from all the bad-news bombardment, but a deeper concern about how that bombardment “hardens” us and so lessens our humanity.
Read More »
Is Living with You a Bed of Roses?
Six Garden Analogies for Self-Improvement
What are you are like to live with? Is it a “bed of roses” to be your partner or spouse? Are there dangerous thorns lurking beneath the sheets?
Read More »
A Wrinkle in Time: Special Effects Distract from a Heroine Whose Time Has Come
Although 'A Wrinkle in Time' has been compared to 'Wonder Woman,' Ava DuVernay is quick to focus on the more human element. "This film is about a girl in a plaid shirt and glasses who goes to a regular school. She's not a Jedi, she's not royalty, she has no superpowers."
Read More »
Daylight Saving Time Attacks Again
The start of Daylight Saving Time in the spring leads to the loss of one hour of sleep on the night of the transition, but its impact on the days following are significant.
Read More »
Poetry Sunday: “Walking Through the Grass at Night,” by Ellery Akers
The poem is somewhat about being alone and a speaker who conjures life into inanimate objects to populate her world.
Read More »
Change is in the Air: International Women’s Day, 2018
There is a definite groundswell of action lately by and for women to improve things and fast track change.
Read More »
“And the Oscar Goes to . . .This Year’s Oscars”
This year, Hollywood's salute to its own achievements made for excellent television indeed.
Read More »
“Not Elegy, But Eros,” “The Old City,”
and “Ode to the Joke,” by Nausheen Eusuf
All of Nausheen Eusuf's poems show an uncommon amount of mystery, subtlety grace, wit, and intelligence, but many—including the ones offered to you today—make me catch my breath.
Read More »