Author Archives: BJ

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder in which people have recurring, unwanted thoughts, ideas or sensations (obsessions) that make them feel driven to do something repetitively (compulsions). I label my emails. I color-code and file them. Nested, rainbow-hued stacks of … Continue reading →

and a partridge in a pear tree. how many words count as “writing”? I watched a colleague write page after page in a spiral notebook during a poetry reading. was she responding to the poet with her own poems? was … Continue reading →

I read this piece in Brevity. Like the writer, “I feel unsettled, fearful, and unmotivated. Rudderless.” But not just about writing–which has sailed so far off my horizon that I’m not sure I’ll ever catch it back. (sea metaphor?) I’m … Continue reading →

I signed up for an essay writing webinar with Medium, called “How to Write an Essay Everyone Wants to Read: 5 Steps to Craft Meaningful Personal Narratives.” Of course I have no essays in progress, no drafts of anything I … Continue reading →

Reading an article in the WaPo–sent as part of “The Optimist” weekly–about a newly opened plant in Iceland. The Climeworks Orca will capture CO2 from the air and thus help offset carbon emissions. Fine. But this statement caught my attention: … Continue reading →

I didn’t know that air could smell this bad after a rain. Even NYC in the summer does smell like this. Or Nairobi during the monsoon season. I tried describing it to my mom, who’s chilling on a San Juan … Continue reading →

to watch the mother and baby deer graze in our front yard, to listen to the silence of the house, to read book reviews and craft advice in Brevity, to lie on the couch with the cat and try not … Continue reading →

25 years ago today (June 8, 1996), I married. we promised we’d love each other forever. the cottonwoods blew, the sun shone, and our most cherished people gathered to wish us well. this year would have been our silver anniversary–whatever … Continue reading →

the menopause I was reading about weight gain during menopause and happened upon this phrase, “the menopause.” The article stopped me. Not “menopause” but “the menopause.” Not “war” but “the war.” Not “life change” but “the life change.” Not “cancer” … Continue reading →

short sleeve or long sleeve capped or tank turtle, tee, or button-down crew, scoop, or v-neck plaid, print, or solid offset flannel, poplin, chambray, corduroy, gingham, madras 3/4 sleeve, mock turtle plain or logo 100% cotton; cotton blend dress, casual, … Continue reading →