I sit at the head of what was once my dinner table, opposite the woman who was once my mother- in-law, celebrating the birthday of the man who I was once married to. His sister is there too. Her children. My son so desperately wanted me to come. And so my ex invited me. For […]
moreThe other day, I saw two women I know from the past. We were classmates once. Friends, by circumstance. Girls. I see them now, 25 years later, as our paths cross. We had never expected them to. We stopped being classmates, being girls. And so we stopped being friends. There had been no projection into […]
moreA mother calls me this morning. She has just read a story to our kids’ class. She told them a little bit about America, which is where the writer of the story comes from. She had a towel with her of the American flag. Before I left this morning, I saw how she had draped […]
moreWhite baguette, cheese, chocolate, caramel and a latte. This was my lunch. While in the supermarket a few hours later, my legs went weak, my hands shook and I had to hold on to a rack for fear I would black-out. This event took me back a few years, to New York. I was 24-years-old […]
moreI drive and a car tailgates me. It is a bigger car than mine. Safer. Mine is silver, actually it’s grey. His is gold, actually it’s brown. It annoys me. Why doesn’t he keep his distance? I go faster, he goes faster. I go faster still, he does the same. I give my brakes a […]
more“Brave”. “Touching.” “Impressive.” “Powerful.” It’s always that way. When you least expect it, people react most passionately to something you’ve written. I had coffee this morning with a friend, he said how the piece I had written about my dystonia had stayed with him. And I, in turn, didn’t know how to respond. I felt […]
moreWhat a feeling… I am driving the car and the radio plays that song. I feel like slamming the brakes, jumping out and dancing on the highway. I was really young when this film came out, but the exaltation that final scene gave me is one of the reasons I love film. It’s that unique […]
moreDuring a radio-interview this morning about The Consul General’s Wife, I was asked whether my main character (Melchior) was based on a real person. My answer to this is that Melchior is archetypal. He is your typical white, male, baby-boomer who was worked for a prestigious institution all his life and has always been adored […]
moreThe producer eats a muffin. Blueberry, I think. He wouldn’t know either because he’s eating it without really tasting it. The same way I’m eating a salad. Food is simply a welcome distraction, for now. A going through motions that are aimed at saying we’re all fine and comfortable and not in the least tense. […]
moreThe man who lives across the street opened the door. He has two children and a wife. I felt awkward meeting them. Often, I catch myself staring mindlessly into their home while I’m on my small balcony thinking over a few things, or watering plants, or smoking. His daughter is always on their balcony. She […]
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