Category Archives: Motherhood

“The Question Is”

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Julie Goldberg

Here’s another short story that takes place in the A&P two Tuesdays before Thanksgiving a little before 6pm. Jennifer Lerner, PhD., asks herself 66 questions about competition, marriage, academia, children, sex, careers, the soul, and cake mix. Here’s an excerpt: … Continue reading →

Posted in Motherhood, Writing | Leave a comment

“Mom, What’s the Right Age to Start Having Sex?”

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Julie Goldberg

“Mom, what’s the right age to start having sex?” That was exactly the question I wasn’t expecting, sitting with my 13-year-old son and my husband in a restaurant overlooking the Hudson, sipping a cocktail, waiting for our food to arrive. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Motherhood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Bigger

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Julie Goldberg

(The following is a version of the speech I gave at my son Isaac’s bar mitzvah last weekend. To illustrate the point before I began, I took off my high-heeled shoes and stood next to him in front of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Motherhood, Volta | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Lobbing Nerf Rocks

Posted on December 1, 2012 by Julie Goldberg

At a workshop I attended recently, Emmy Laybourne, author of the Monument 14 series, shared a rule, well-known among screenwriters, that I had never heard before: “Chase your character up a tree and throw rocks at him.” It’s smart advice: … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Libraries, Motherhood, Volta, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Perfect Whole, Superstorm Sandy Edition

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Julie Goldberg

We are grateful to have come through the storm safe and well, with no property damage, though I did not at all like the threatening looks one old, majestic oak was casting in the direction of my dining room. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Libraries, Motherhood, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

What We Got for $140,000

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Julie Goldberg

Tomorrow, my daughter graduates 8th grade, bringing an end to her twelve years of Waldorf education. She’s been a student at Green Meadow Waldorf School since she was three years old, longer than she can remember. To her, Waldorf school … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Motherhood | Tagged , , , , , , , | 48 Comments

Common Ground in the Culture Wars

Posted on June 2, 2012 by Julie Goldberg

Because we’re addicted to silly arguments and trumped up controversies, and because the most sophisticated move we seem able to make as a culture is forcing every issue into two, and no more than two, warring camps, lately we’ve been … Continue reading →

Posted in Criticism, Motherhood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

This Essay is Not Living Up to Its Potential

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Julie Goldberg

You’re not working up to your potential! Raise your hand if your teachers told you this when you were growing up. Wow! That many of you! That’s a LOT of unlived-up-to potential! Let us pause for a moment and imagine … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Motherhood, Volta | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Overthrow of the Queen

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Julie Goldberg

When my daughter Grace was in the second grade, she staged a small, gentle revolution against a powerful person. Now 14 ½ and in eighth grade, she wrote the following memoir for an English assignment: The Small Rebellion By Grace … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Motherhood | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Grand Unified Theory

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Julie Goldberg

I’ve been thinking a lot over the past year about emotions. Well, that’s only half the truth. I’ve been feeling a lot of emotions. In 2011, I weathered a midlife crisis, made a new commitment to my writing,  and confronted several serious … Continue reading →

Posted in Criticism, Motherhood, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments