The Wound That Heals
What is the value of standing witness? Atrocity and inhumanity and evil–is there a moral imperative to record it? Today … Continue reading The Wound That Heals
Month: January 2013
The Optimism of Cities
People say Seattle once had seven hills. One is now missing: Denny Hill. In 1897, city designers decided they’d had … Continue reading The Optimism of Cities
A Prayer for a Friend
I met her when I was 19 years old. I’d been recommended for a job at the campus writing center, … Continue reading A Prayer for a Friend
Discomfort Required
I’m talking about the kind of discomfort that challenges us, by taking us exactly where we need to go. Audre … Continue reading Discomfort Required
Trauma and Compassion
What if the value of our suffering–its use–is that it gifts us with compassion? I think all along I have taken … Continue reading Trauma and Compassion
Leaving the Fold
It wasn’t the scientific … Continue reading Leaving the Fold
Revenge and Justice
It seems I write mostly about revenge. All my characters are exacting some kind of revenge. Or think they are. … Continue reading Revenge and Justice
The Hardest Kind of Honesty
I tell lies. Whole packs of them. Mostly to myself, but I don’t think that in the least softens the … Continue reading The Hardest Kind of Honesty
Repotting
So when Bob told me to start writing down my story last week, I didn’t know where this would take … Continue reading Repotting
The Communities We Come By
Back when my brother and I were living in our first apartment, and I was 24, I went through this … Continue reading The Communities We Come By
