For years, people have blamed newspapers for not featuring enough women in the opinion section. It turns out, though, that the problem isn’t so much that news organizations aren’t featuring women in their opinion sections; it’s that women aren’t contributing in the first place. I talked about this issue with Catherine Orenstein of The Op-EdContinue reading “Finding ways for women (myself included) to contribute more to public discourse”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Local tragedy a reminder that if we try, we can be part of the change we wish to see
Yesterday’s newspaper is still lying on my kitchen table. A photo of 16-year-old Nicholas Lemmon Lindsey stares back at me and I’m left wondering, why? Earlier this week, Lindsey shot and killed St. Petersburg police officer David Crawford, a 25-year veteran. Police searched the area near my workplace Tuesday morning in what became the largestContinue reading “Local tragedy a reminder that if we try, we can be part of the change we wish to see”
Catching up with John Quinn & Chips Quinn scholars in Cocoa Beach
Last weekend I got to catch up with one of my great mentors, John Quinn, at his winter home in Cocoa Beach. My boyfriend Troy and I went there for a Chips Quinn reunion — a yearly event for those who have gone through the Chips Quinn program. The program, which is aimed at diversifyingContinue reading “Catching up with John Quinn & Chips Quinn scholars in Cocoa Beach”
Comments from last week’s post a motivation to keep moving forward
Whenever I write about my relationship with food and my mom, I’m always humbled by the number of people who send me messages to say they related to what I wrote about. My last blog post — a narrative comprised of several personal essays I’ve written throughout the years — generated a lot of meaningfulContinue reading “Comments from last week’s post a motivation to keep moving forward”
Learning to heal from the loss of my mom, struggles with food
I’ve been writing personal essays about my mom for three and a half years now and am constantly reminded of how much I love to keep her memory alive through writing. Now, I’ve taken all of those essays and strung them together. I plan to build on the narrative so that I can eventually turnContinue reading “Learning to heal from the loss of my mom, struggles with food”
When moms say ‘you’re gorgeous,’ they mean ‘I love you’
I like to think that my Mom, who died of breast cancer when I was 11, sends me signs. When I’m thinking about her or am in need of a hug, I’ll sometimes hear Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You” — the song she dedicated to me before she died — on the radio. OnContinue reading “When moms say ‘you’re gorgeous,’ they mean ‘I love you’”
Why journalists misspell names & why it matters to get them right
Throughout the years I’ve gotten used to people misspelling my name. My late aunt seemed to spell it differently every time she wrote me a Christmas or birthday card, and teachers used to misspell it, too. In the third grade I started to write “Mal” on top of my papers to avoid confusion, but myContinue reading “Why journalists misspell names & why it matters to get them right”
From copy editor to associate editor of Poynter.org
So, I have some good news. I recently had my annual review and found out that I’ve been promoted to associate editor of Poynter.org. I feel honored, and I’m excited to embrace the responsibilities of my new role. For the past couple of years, my title has been copy editor. While I respect all theContinue reading “From copy editor to associate editor of Poynter.org”
Funny take on where the Babysitters Club girls are today
I couldn’t help but smile when I saw this Awl story about what the members of the Babysitters Club are up to these days. Growing up, I was a huge Babysitters Club fan and even started my own club. I hung up handmade flyers around town to make the locals aware of my babysitting skillsContinue reading “Funny take on where the Babysitters Club girls are today”
Finding the (real) recipe for mom’s macaroni and cheese
This week I started reading “Stuffed,” a food memoir by Patricia Volk. The book is a tribute to Volk’s family members and the food they made her growing up. Each chapter, which is named after a special type of food, is about a different family member. One of the things I love about the bookContinue reading “Finding the (real) recipe for mom’s macaroni and cheese”
Word on the Street 