I remember picking up my third grade daughter one day from school. On this particular day, her usual happy smile was gone as she slid open the van door, plopped in her seat and immediately burst into tears. She blubbered: “Mom, am I weird? Some girls in my class keep calling me weird. (Blubber, blubber.) Am I weird?” My heart sank, and like any good mother, I immediately began plotting my revenge. I was pretty sure I knew who “those girls” were and I was going to ma ke them SUFFER! Ok, not … [Read more...] about How To Be A Person In The World

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler is a stunning new coming-of-age novel about a young woman who leaves her small hometown for NYC where she lands employment at one of the poshest restaurants in town. The author poetically describes food as an accompaniment to and metaphor for the story. The book begins: “You will develop a palate. A palate is a spot on your tongue wher you remember. Where you assign words to the textures of taste. Eating becomes a discipline, language-obsesses. You will never … [Read more...] about Sweetbitter

“What have I done with my life?” "What do I have time left to do?" "What am I still capable of?"  Perhaps these stirrings and unmet longings live within all of us as we approach new stages of our lives. Gerald Marzorati explores this idea in his wonderful new memoir, Late to the Ball. After a gratifying career successfully editing the New York Times Magazine, Marzorati sets out in his late 50’s to learn the game of tennis. He begins to train seriously with a coach. The book is not only about … [Read more...] about Late to the Ball

My daughter, the psychology major and recent college graduate, was fascinated when she first read Helter Skelter a few years ago. Despite the harsh reality of the subject matter, the murders committed by Charles Manson and his followers, there is something darkly intriguing about his cult and the devotion and obedience he engendered in his minions, most of them young, vulnerable girls. I was equally intrigued by Emma Cline’s fascinating and extremely well-told new novel, The Girls, in which … [Read more...] about The Girls