The Strange Malady of Having Regular Parents
I’ve written before about the crushing weight of trauma people seem to have in response to events and experiences that are, objectively, […]
“Wild Strawberries,” Cold Mothers, and Embryos on Ice
Ingmar Bergman’s 1957 film “Wild Strawberries” (“Smultronstället” in Swedish) is a portrait of a man whose mother was cold. The protagonist, a […]
Pursuing Creativity through Order in Motherhood: “The Baby on the Fire Escape” and “The Compleat Woman”
There’s a cultural misperception that spontaneity and impulse are the fertile ground of artistic expression. Undeniably, there is a long and storied […]
Bee Wilson’s “First Bite”: Rethinking How We Eat and the Breastfeeding World Tour
There are certain writers whose work, no matter the topic, I will read because their perspective is perennially interesting. Such is the […]
Amy Chua’s “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”: Is “Chinese Parenting” Really Better?
When J.D. Vance was announced as the GOP candidate for vice-president, I, like many people, was reminded of his mystifying memoir of […]
Why Being the “Fun Mom” Does Not Work and What To Do Instead
I’ve had the experience and heard many mothers share it of trying to be “fun.” When you go out of your way […]
Laura Vanderkam’s “I Know How She Does It”: Time Tracking and the Stories We Tell Ourselves
Laura Vanderkam is a married mother of five, time management expert, and concise and insightful writer. Though it’s been several years since […]
Margaret Kennedy’s “The Feast”: A Perfect Beach Read?
Reading on the beach is a careful art, made all the more perilous when you have children to keep track of. Books […]
Effortless: The Complex Art of Soft Life
It’s another year of “Soft Girl Summer,” a season of relishing feminine pursuits and the finer side of life. I enthusiastically proclaimed […]
The Wonder Babies Evolve: Leaving Daycare
Last year, I was intrigued by a line in an article about the superhuman wonder babies of a “pronatalist” couple of almost […]