I once compared Anne Tyler to John Waters just because they’re both from Baltimore. I want to claim these two among the great southern US writers, who so beautifully capture a culture trying to hide its deepset hairline fractures. The real difference is that Tyler portrays characters who are not-quite-right, while Waters creates those that […]

After working a twenty hour weekend, I can’t seem to get my priorities straight. Do I write a blog entry to keep up my weekly goal (yes, obviously)? Do I exercise to keep from getting stressed and flabby? Do I wash the laundry that’s piled up over the last two weeks? Do I pay my bills? […]

Every week day I drive east in the morning, heading for the gold towers along Dallas’s Central Expressway. I park my car in the garage and head for the elevators. Now, I don’t see a lot of road rage or impatience on my drive to the office. It’s a nice three-lane road, the lights fairly […]

As Dorothy was traveling along the yellow brick road, she was passing straight through Elphaba’s life, challenging the green one’s very belief system by introducing something strange and new into her world. Travelers are not always welcome, and it’s not just about territorialism. People are often comforted by sameness, and afraid of things that fall outside of […]