Essay about the first time I visited my father in his Florida nursing home. He read this piece when he was still his old self and encouraged me to publish it, even though it is rather unflinching in its depiction of him and his life. He wanted to be seen and he wanted me to tell the truth, and I admire him for both. My father died in that same nursing home on February 10, 2008. The weekend the story describes took place in June, 2005.
FieldReport.com
May 2, 2008
Helaine’s and my reaction to the criticism of Lori Gottlieb’s article in The Atlantic Monthly saying that her friends were right to “settle” when they married their non-Brad Pitt husbands. We thought maybe they got to know these guys before making judgments based on first impressions and we know one place they might have done it: the office.
The Huffington Post
February 26, 2008
"The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name"
Helaine’s and my piece about the fact that office romance is still somehow “unspeakable” even though it is ubiquitous. Two words: Barack Obama.
The Huffington Post
February 13, 2008
"Choose Some Other License Plate"
Commentary about the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Arizona was wrong to reject the application of “Choose Life” for an anti-abortion specialty license plate. This is the second time I’ve written about this issue; see my KQED Public Radio piece (“License Plate Politics”; September 1, 2006) about my discovery of the “Choose Life” plate during a trip to visit my father in Florida.
The Huffington Post
January 29, 2008
"Your Professional Emails, Ims, and Texts Are Not Private—Get Over It"
Helaine’s and my reaction to news about the idiotic and illegal behavior of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick in The Huffington Post. He lied under oath (in an unrelated case) about having an extramarital affair with a top aide; the the Detroit Free Press got hold of 14,000 texts the aide sent on her city-issued pager. Oops.
The Huffington Post
January 24, 2008
Story in O, The Oprah Magazine about a new way to get yourself unstuck after you’ve tried and failed to make a life change. The story is based on the ideas in Alan Deutschman’s book Change or Die. Alan and I worked together at Fortune years ago and his book gives the lie to our ideas that people who manage to change are just better than you and I are at mustering the willpower change requires. Instead, successful change comes through a relationship with a person or a group who inspires you and shows you the way.
My photo and a short interview appear on the Contributors’ Page as well; check it out.
O, The Oprah Magazine
January 8, 2007
Q&A I did with Paula Kamen, author of the new book “Finding Iris Chang: Friendship, Ambition, and the Loss of an Extraordinary Mind.” I was fascinated by Iris Chang when she was alive and convinced she was murdered when she was found dead in her car at 36. To have the opportunity to ask her friend Paula Kamen anything I wanted was nothing short of a dream assignment.
Salon.com
December 13, 2007
Mediabistro.com wrote about the Paula Kamen Q&A in its FishbowlLA newsletter.
"For Love or Pink Slips: Why On-the-Job Nookie with the Boss is a No-No"
Helaine’s and my reaction to Red Cross head Mark Everson’s instant firing after it was revealed he was having an extramarital affair with a colleague.
The Huffington Post
November 28, 2007
New, or Practically New
- Read the latest press on Office Mate and check out video and audio clips of our appearances here.
- My essay on how I brainwashed my daughter to be a Democrat appears in the new anthology The Maternal is Political.
- An essay about the first time I visited my father in his nursing home, called “Hermit Crab,” appears on FieldReport.
- Commentary in The Huffington Post on the circuit court decision to allow the “Choose Life” license plate in Arizona.
- My thoughts on the subject appear in Time to Write: Professional Writers Reveal How to Fit Writing Into Your Life by Kelly Stone.
- Look for my coverage of the best personal stylists in the Bay Area in San Francisco Magazine’s July “Best of the Bay” issue.
- The Maternal is Political reading on August 7 at the San Francisco Book Passage in the Ferry Building at 6pm.
- Office Mate reading on September 16 at the San Francisco Book Passage in the Ferry Building at 6pm.
- Fame and fortune: any minute now.
