Archive for February 2021

On Friday, Clara slipped this note of paper into Charlie’s lunchbox. Charlie loved it, but I think Elysha and I loved it a hell of a lot more. It also made me feel like a terrible father for never doing anything of the kind.

When I was a boy, I wanted to be a teacher and a writer. By the time I was in high school, I had begun telling people that I wanted to “write for a living and teach for pleasure.” Miraculously, I actually achieved my boyhood dream. Miraculous only because there was a time in my…

Whenever I take students on overnight trips, or whenever I run an after-school program for students, my school district requires me to complete a time sheet so I can be paid for my additional hours. One of the fields on the form asks me to list my position. For nearly 20 years, I have filled…

I strongly recommend you waste an enormous amount of time on radio.garden, a website and app where you can explore the world via radio. Built atop Google Earth, radio.garden is populated by tiny, green dots, each representing a radio station, or in large markets, a series of radio stations currently broadcasting. Click on the green…

The date that this pandemic began for people varies depending upon their location and level of awareness at the time. Many Americans point to March 11, the day the NBA shut down after league officials learned that forward Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. My school district shut down two days later, as did…

Elysha, Charlie, and I were watching the film “What About Bob?” last weekend. As Dr. Leo Marvin, played by Richard Dreyfuss, is strapping explosives to Bob Wiley, played by Bill Murray, with the intention of murdering his patient, Charlie turns to me and says, “Does this movie have a sequel?” See what he was doing?…

“Twenty-one Truths About Love” is now available in paperback! To celebrate the paperback publication, I’ve launched a 5 part podcast series on the creation of the book. In episode #1, I talk to my wife, Elysha Dicks, about how a book written entirely in lists is born. In episode #2, I talk to my editor,…

I’ve never watched a second of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, so I’m admittedly coming from a place of ignorance, but this fact recently came to my attention: In the 18 years and 40 seasons of The Bachelor/Bachelorette, there have been only two Black lead contestants: One Black bachelorette back in 2017 (in season 33),…

Elysha, the kids, and I watched the film “What About Bob?” last night. Clara left halfway through, choosing to read a book rather than finishing the movie. Charlie stuck it out, laughed uproariously a few times, and declared it “pretty good.” I don’t blame them. The film is from 1991, so it could use a…

Last week, I advised someone to zig while others are zagging. It’s advice that I give often. Actually, someone reported to me just yesterday that they took this advice and it paid off handsomely, as it almost always does. Swim against the stream. Find a way to differentiate yourself. Consider the contrarian position. Live life…