Author Archive
Kicking and screaming all the way
It has always been impossible for me to think about my favorite writers without imagining them hunched over manuscripts, their brains filled with plots, characters, and climax... read more...
Have you ever kissed a book?
Oops. Please excuse me. A little crowded here on the shelf, and I didn’t see you sitting there beside me. Bit on the skinny side, aren’t you? I almost squashed you! So sorry. ... read more...
The Herb Garden
If you said the words “herb garden” to most people (dare I say – to a normal person?), he or she would probably think of cultivated soil filled with edible plants: Basil, Lic... read more...
The Hummingbird Lady
The airplane was about to take off. I had the seat by the window. She had the seat next to me, on the aisle. I was young, confident, fearless, friendly, and endlessly fascinat... read more...
The Albedo Principle
Once upon a time, just like a starry-eyed kid in a 1950s musical, I came to New York to seek fame and fortune. My first job was as a book club correspondent. My name was “Thom... read more...
Johnny Come Lately
Employing my usual lopsided sense of urgency, I announce my transformation from weekly to monthly columnist with a timely (ha!) review of my favorite film. Unfortunately, you ... read more...
Sam’s story comes to an end
Samuel Reuben Highland Park, Ill. February 18,1978 My dear Shelly, Congratulations! On the marketing of a $200 item. Now, you are a writer, which no one can deny. ... read more...
The soundtrack of my childhood
The decal that Samuel Reuben designed is beautiful. An eagle’s golden wings are proudly spread over a large, white circle bordered by a heavy, gold-link chain. Two taloned cla... read more...
The Mouse and the Cake
August 30, 1976 Highland Park, Ill. Dear Shelly, Sorry I didn’t write to you earlier, but now is the time. You will remember Rosie my sister. Well, She is being operated... read more...
Stay away from scorpions
October 8, 1975 - Highland Park, Ill. My dear Shelly, I will write you a few lines that will bring you up-to-date. The weather has been very good. There are no floods in the... read more...
Gnaddie. Gnaddie. Gnaddie.
I remember in the sad and fragile period after Mikey died, when I was so certain that my father’s heart was irreversibly broken, with what surprise and relief I realized that ... read more...
Coconut hairs in my mouth
If my father saw a blind man stranded at the curb of a busy intersection, he would stop his car in the middle of traffic and, unconcerned by honking horns and screaming motori... read more...
You Make a Better Door than a Window
Samuel Reuben delighted in delighting his children. We knew how very much we were loved by him, and we had the good sense to appreciate what we had. From his deliberately obtu... read more...
Sleeping Sam Stories
Samuel Reuben had an incredible mind. It danced forward, backward, up and down on a tightrope of unpredictability, always surprising, delighting, never losing its sense of tim... read more...
You are my daughter
January 5, 1975 Dear Shelly, There is a blanket of snow over everything outside. It is great for making snowballs and temporary fortifications, also igloos… Chucky is going... read more...
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