Author and Speaker
"I don't know how they do it," she said. We were having coffee — Vanessa, Michelle, and me — in the exact coffee shop where Michelle and I first met in real life. Of course, we were talking about writing. And about writers we admire. They're the ones who stick their necks out, take a stand, state …
Continue Reading about What I Learned From Brené Brown About Criticism
I am not a fan of green bean casserole. In fact, I am more of an anti fan. When I was little girl, I had a bad experience with green bean casserole. It's too bad, I know, because green bean casserole seems to be all the rage these days — an up and coming staple at holiday meals. People get all …
Continue Reading about On Serving Green Bean Casserole {& How It’s Like Talking About Race}
It happens nearly every time I’m in a crowd. The Jazz Festival downtown, a train platform, a concert or conference in a massive arena. When walking through crowds at the airport in Chicago, or San Antonio, or Denver, or New York, or wherever it is my travels have taken me I hear myself think, “All …
...I like to live life in the comfort zone of my own bubble of personal space. I don't mind reaching out to you, because that's on my terms. But when you start reaching out to me, I begin wondering what to do with my arms and wishing I could find a polite way to say, "Um, excuse me. But do you see …
Last Sunday, I hopped in the car with two of my friends and drove one hundred miles to a church in a town west of Lincoln. It was one of those perfect weather days. My friends and I watched what we decided was a crop duster as it made low passes over the fields, and we marveled at the clear blue …
On the yoga mat, with my forehead on the mat, my legs folded beneath me in child's pose, I hear my yoga instructor say, in her mellow yoga voice, "Now turn up the corners of your mouth." She doesn't actually say, "Smile," but it's what she means, and I love the way she makes me rethink how one small …
