IMHO many of our most traditional and sacred holidays have serious and divisive issues, whether because of complicated legacies, suboptimal family dynamics, or the exclusion of large swaths of our fellow citizens.
Punditry
My White Privilege
So far this week, one of my favorite comedians, Amber Ruffin, has recorded three stories on YouTube about her run-ins with the police. In these stories, Amber recounts how she was doing literally nothing to arouse suspicion from any sentient creature, but she ends of being threatened by white police officers. Let me take you back to my own run-in with the cops to illustrate white privilege.
Five Lessons I Learned in Unemployment
Shortly after the Dot-com Bubble and before Monster.com and Indeed became popular, I found myself out of work, a situation not unlike 30 million Americans who have filed for unemployment compensation because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pandemic Goal #4: Get Verified on Twitter
In these times when it is critically important to know who we’re tweeting at and who’s tweeting at us, the blue verification check next to your Twitter handle will make a substantive difference to your online existence. Which, during these times, is more important that your real life.
10 Reasons to Hate the Ampersand
The ampersand is the Bob Benson of punctuation. It tries too hard by half to please. “Look at me! I’m here,” it screams from the page. I see you, ampersand. Just go away.
My Declaration of Independence from the Word “Your”
For far too long, the word “your” has been widely used by figures in authority to unfairly establish and maintain hegemony of one person over another.
11 Reasons Why Richard and Emily are the Stars of “Gilmore Girls”
A few years removed from focusing on Rory Gilmore as the touchstone of the show, I have settled on the belief that the real heroes of the show are the characters of the musty, crusty, waspy grandparents, Emily and Richard Gilmore.
Holding on to Friends
Friendships are not easy, especially when the friends are no longer in the same crucible of school, work, parenting, or city. They require intentionality. They require travel. They require shedding the very comfort zone that fostered the friendships in the first place.
This Elizabeth Warren Supporter Will Stan for Joe Biden
Last year I volunteered to make phone calls for the presidential candidate I felt most capable not only of defeating President Voldemort, but who could right all the wrongs being inflicted on our country by a political leadership that cares only for what it wants. My candidate was Elizabeth Warren. I loved talking to strangers … Continue reading This Elizabeth Warren Supporter Will Stan for Joe Biden
Art and Public Nudity
One of my most rewarding experiences as a junior book editor in the 1980's was working with the late English journalist Colin Simpson, who I recall had a reputation as somewhat of a scoundrel and troublemaker – the perfect combination for any ambitious editor chasing the best-seller list.
Third Ed Novak 