Exercise

Exercise

by | Apr 12, 2014

Yesterday, when I took my dog Lila for walk, we encountered another dog, who was fenced in his own yard. We know where this dog lives in the neighborhood because we frequently walk on his street. The dog is a tall blonde handsome labradoodle, who, when we pass, stands...

Anatomy lesson, week 2

by | Apr 11, 2014

IMPUNITY My assignment this week was to dissect out the great saphenous vein. Saphenous. What a beautiful word, I mused. What does it mean, I wondered? It sounds exotic. Cobalt-colored. Erotic. Poetic. I would google it when I got home. In the meantime, I would get...

The illusion of skin

by | Apr 5, 2014

She stands at my head, holding her warm hands over my closed eyes. I, under a tan velvet blanket, catch the scent of lavender emanating from her palms. “Inhale,” she whispers. My breath moves like the tide, undulates slowly through my nostrils towards the shores of my...
The universe

The universe

by | Apr 2, 2014

Every weekday morning my dad is gone by 6 a.m. to meet his breakfast club. I wonder where he goes, who else is there, what do they talk about? I often ask can I come with, but my dad always says no, it’s private, for men only, not for little girls. But one Saturday,...

Anatomy lesson, intro and week 1

by | Mar 31, 2014

I have recently been on a quest for meaning and have found it in the most unlikely place: among the dead. Sometime in my mid-40s, I began to feel more afraid than ever about my chosen career path, which I loved. I had been keeping a journal for over thirty years, and...

Birthday

by | Mar 18, 2014

Today I called Daisy to wish her a Happy Birthday. It’s March 18, and she’s turning 80. This is a big one for her. I met Val and Daisy when I was a graduate student at Princeton. One September day in 1990, I was training for a marathon. I had just set out...