I'm a big supporter of nursing in public, but I never was able to. My kid is just too curious. If we're out, Teddy wants to look around. He could be starving, but would never be able to nurse because there's just too much to see. Even at home, we nurse only in my room, with the lights off and the door closed. Sometimes the alarm clock is so interesting he can't concentrate on eating. A few w  Read more 

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Dear Vered, One of my best friends, who lives far away, is clinically depressed and extremely socially isolated. She's leaned on me for a while over instant messenger during the day, and conversations with her are getting more and more draining. I just started a new job that makes me less available (though still technically available) during the day, and as my life has gotten fuller and more   Read more 

Risa Denenberg’s courage to write so boldly, plainly and master it with such brevity astounds me. Her honest, clear, and easy to read poetry goes against everything academia seems to put on a pedestal. I’m stunned by her frank language and stark energy. She writes poems straight-up and without ego. Even if you only read this one, I’m certain you’ll feel the rebell  Read more 

2012 was a great many things, but, chief among them, for me, and likely a great deal of you reading this--? 2012 was stressful. Not that I didn't have enjoyable moments in 2012. I thankfully reached a milestone of years at my job. I unexpectedly sold my old used car and purchased a newer used car. I'm newly responsible for an older cat -- is it really still pet-sitting if it's for six mont  Read more 

By Cheryl Wilson I recently attended an improv class at Second City. My friend Madeline had been talking about how much fun she had at the drop-in classes (http://www.secondcity.com/training/chicago/coursecatalog/59/), and I impulsively volunteered to join her the next time she went to one. She sent me a message a few days later to make sure I was serious, and before I knew it, we were ag  Read more