Archive for January 2021

Charlie is taking guitar lessons. I am learning to play the piano. Last night, for reasons I don’t quite understand, Charlie decided to experiment with the audio cables of the guitar, amplifier, keyboard, and his laptop. In very short order: He was playing his keyboard through his amplifier He was playing his guitar through the…

When you feel like you are different than everyone else in the world, you spend your life seeking someone who might know why you are different. In the spring of 1993, nearly 30 years ago, I found myself lying on a greasy, tile floor in the back of a McDonald’s restaurant in Brockton, Massachusetts, a…

A few years ago, I went to Sao Paulo, Brazil for 10 days to teach storytelling at an American School and consult with business owners on communication. I was gone for 10 days. It was the longest Elysha and I have been apart since we began dating back in 2004. Somehow, that time apart was…

Imposter syndrome is the feeling of uncertainty and inadequacy that a person feels despite obvious evidence of competence or success. The result of imposter syndrome, among other things, is often a lack of self confidence, and I am convinced that one of the biggest obstacles to success for many, many people is a lack of…

For the record, Elysha and I don’t swear very often at all. As elementary school teachers, we avoid swearing unless we are in the company of colleagues at a safe distance from children, but we also don’t swear very much in our nonworking life, either. You won’t find many curse words in my novels. You…

My daughter, Clara, celebrated her birthday yesterday. She turned 12 years-old. My wife, Elysha, isolated in our bedroom, recovering from COVID-19, described Clara best when she wrote: “Clara Susan. Fierce feminist, voracious reader, Minecraft builder, cat enthusiast, deeply kind and empathetic friend and sister. She is a top notch human being who makes me so…

President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan calls for $750 billion for schools to achieve safe reopening. Last week he set a goal to have almost all American schools reopened in 100 days.  It’s an important goal. And I’m always thrilled about investments in education.    I understand that many school districts are currently teaching…

There are two kinds of cat owners in this world: The owner who gently nudges his cats aside so that he can assume his rightful position in the bed in pursuit of a good night’s sleep. The owner who finds his cats occupying his spot in the bed then proceeds to contort his body into…

The Daily Mail published a report that claimed Krakowski – the brilliant comedic actor – and Mike Lindell – the scumbag Trump sycophant who hocks his My Pillows on conservative news programs – “had a secret nine-month romance” that ended in the summer of 2020. The British newspaper alleged that the pair “were regularly seen…

On Saturday night, we celebrated the launch of my new book, The Other Mother, virtually from our dining room. I told a story about becoming an author and why you should be writing, too. Elysha played the ukulele while she and Clara sang Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now.” Charlie charmed the audience during…