Some years ago, I was signing copies of my novel after a reading. My family wandered up to the author’s table, smiling with pride. Then the woman standing in front of me, waiting for…
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Did you read J.D. Salinger’s novel Catcher in the Rye when you were in college or high school? The one thing everyone seems to remember about its protagonist, Holden Caulfield, is his distaste for…
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By day, I’m a mild-mannered professor of English. That’s been my full-time job for the last 17 years, though I’ve been teaching at universities since I was 22 years old. In more than 30…
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Just after Thanksgiving, I read this article–The Myth of the Male Bumbler, by Lilil Loofbourow. It’s a timely piece for many reasons. First, it explodes the stereotype of the guy who doesn’t know the…
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When I was younger, I always wondered where those giant family gatherings I saw on TV actually occurred. Certainly not in my own home: my parents lived far from their extended families, which meant…
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This post contains an affiliate link for Stitch Fix. If you click through and schedule a fix, I’ll receive a small credit to my account. Thanks! For the past couple of years, I’ve…
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A few days ago, I mentioned to someone that I’m a professor. “That’s so cool,” she said. “I always wanted to be a teacher.” I pointed out that she already is. She teaches Sunday…