Category Archives: Uncategorized

I guess I’m not the first to note that violence pervades our culture. Iraq, the streets of Cleveland, cop shows – everywhere you look, there’s killing. And somehow, those responsible for violence always find a way to justify it. “Thugs” deserve to … Continue reading →

Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of my dad’s death. In his memory, I’m posting an essay I wrote years ago for Northern Ohio Live about him and his wheelchair. It’s also woven into my book Missing.                                             ********************************** My father’s … Continue reading →

I recently read a brisk discussion on Facebook about whether Democrats could be friends with Republicans. Many posters, liberals all, felt that Republicans are just too close-minded and cold-hearted to be friends with. Republicans are other. Before I married John, … Continue reading →

I warn my students not to trust the internet. Last week, I received a student essay with this quotation, attributed to the English poet John Dryden, “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.”  That doesn’t sound like Dryden, I … Continue reading →

I met someone yesterday who said I had a cool job — teaching Latin. That reaction is a little unusual. Though many people say how much they love Latin or make a positive but somewhat inaccurate remark, such as, “That’s the … Continue reading →

My daughter recently visited the College of Wooster with forty-some students from Bronx Preparatory Charter School, where she teaches, all of them African-American or Latino. Wooster is a small town about 90 minutes south of Cleveland. It’s in farm country, and Margaret … Continue reading →

John recently bought me a tape (used…discarded by the library) of Patti Smith’s Dream of Life. I loved her recent memoir Just Kids and have been listening to her a lot. The first song, “People Have the Power,” seems to … Continue reading →