Tag Archives: soul

Bigger

Posted on November 12, 2013 by

(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

Expanding the Universe

Posted on October 15, 2013 by

This week, a guest post from Ruth Hansen about the crucial role the arts play in expanding our circles of compassion. Acting teacher Sanford Meisner defined acting as no less than living truthfully in imaginary circumstances.  Actors are trained to imagine … Continue reading →

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Against Positive Attitudes

Posted on August 15, 2012 by

A few days ago, I lost someone I cherish, my mother-in-law of seventeen years, Marjorie Feldman Springer, who died of an extremely aggressive form of leukemia. Marge was a vivacious, energetic, athletic person, who biked, hiked, swam, played a devastating … Continue reading →

Posted in Criticism, Volta | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Adventures in Bothmind

Posted on July 1, 2012 by

I grew up both. Both Catholic and Jewish. Both an only child and the youngest of four. Both middle and working class. Both a child of the 70s and 80s and, by accidents of birth and history, a very late … Continue reading →

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What We Got for $140,000

Posted on June 15, 2012 by

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

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

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

Grand Unified Theory

Posted on January 15, 2012 by

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

God Bless You. Or Not.

Posted on December 15, 2011 by

Safe home! Life is dangerous. Our travels can be hazardous in bad weather. We get sick and injured. We get our hearts broken. We get tides of bad luck when everything goes wrong. We do not have a nice weekend. … Continue reading →

Posted in Criticism, Volta | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

You Can Spread It with a Paper Knife!

Posted on September 30, 2011 by

Remember this commercial?  No?  Well, 1977 really was a long time ago, I suppose.  This 36-second drama presents a man in a suit explaining to a housewife that Pillsbury Frosting Supreme is so creamy that “you can spread it with … Continue reading →

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