Tag: women artists and writers
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Swim Friend
“Everything in the universe is within you. Ask all from yourself.” —Rumi It was a whale. Beneath me and to the right, similar to where the dolphin had been tracking me in April. I was on my fifth length, speaking a healing mantra as I swam out into the Gulf of California. A small whale,…
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Unleashed
The Little Yellow Dog Gang cares not a wit for leash laws. No collars, no microchips, no fixed address, but heaps of street smarts. Yes, I’ve named them:—Valiente, the leader, male, yellow fur, floppy ears, joyful, the smallest—Beatrice, the biggest, barrel-shaped, dark brown, female, ready to rumble—Emma, shy, fine-boned, black, bat ears, female, youngest All…
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Respect Your Self
Years ago, Mom heard of a restaurant she wanted to try, so we took a taxi after that day’s Jazz Fest. It was hot and humid in New Orleans, and we were wearing shorts and t-shirts, like the majority of concert-goers. Disapproval radiated from the owner-chef. There was a dress code. We didn’t meet it.…
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I’ll Be Seeing You
“They [feelings] are chaotic, sometimes painful, sometimes contradictory, but they come from deep within us. And we must key into those feelings and begin to extrapolate from them, examine them for new ways of understanding our experiences.” –Audre Lorde Beguiled by a garbage truck, Valiente—the leader of the Little Yellow Dog Gang—hurtled into traffic after it, barking insults. “No!”…
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Humorous & Haunting
The funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time (other than the Little Yellow Dog Gang, which continues to amuse) is a video of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra performing Ennio Morricone’s “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” Particularly the perfectly coiffed woman singing, “Wah wah wah.” Then the sparkly-dressed conductor leads them into beauty. A…
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Adopted
“Love purifies. Suffering never purified anybody; suffering merely intensifies the self-directed drives within us. Any act of love, however—no matter how small—lessens anxiety’s grip, gives us a taste of tomorrow, and eases the yoke of our fears. Love, unlike virtue, is not its own reward. The reward of love is peace of mind, and peace…
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Benevolence
Three years in México and the language still gets away from me. To be fair, I’ve had huge misunderstandings with people in English; Spanish simply adds spice. Yesterday, slogging back from provisioning, towing the wagon, the gatekeeper at the athletic field asked, “¿Se vende?” The fatigued interpreter in my brain translated this to “What did…
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Shoulds are for Saints
It’s out! Shoulds are for Saints: the true life adventures of Suzy Le Speed has finally been published. She sprang to life in college, got derailed, then surfaced again and again. Shoulds is a quirky, non-formulaic P.I. novel. Funny feminist fiction for fans of Rita Mae Brown, Linda Barnes, and Susan Isaacs. Set in 1980s…
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Make a Splash
Last Sunday, 500 people swam from the mainland, past Habibi, to Deer Island. The annual migration began early, with a rhythmical splash on the portside. Ever vigilant to different noises, I saw a man freestyling by wearing goggles and towing a small bright orange inflatable. “A swimmer!” I thought. “Neato.” Then a panga motored by…
