My first week as a public librarian was all I could have hoped for and then some. There’s an overwhelming amount of information to absorb, all of it fascinating. The people I’m working with, to a one, have been fabulous. They're supportive, welcoming and just the right amount of friendly – a matter-of-fact “here’s what I do, … Continue reading May rejection make you smile: my wish for job-seekers
Category: Society
So, it’s been a few months. I could make up a whole raft of reasons for the radio silence, but the truth is job-related. Last July, I was laid off from the job I loved, and not long after my last post in February, there were signs of a happy ending/soft landing. In a fit of … Continue reading Love, loss, hope and backup plans: Making now count
There are a lot of reasons I miss having a dog. Election season is one. Tuki used to come with me when I voted. She was also my candidate of choice on more than one occasion. I voted for Tuki when it was clear that, compared to the humans on a ballot, she would represent … Continue reading My Write-in Candidate is Dead and Reductive Disrespecters Want Your Brain: An Election Season Guide for the Perplexed
The first time I heard the term “Cultural Intelligence” was in a church basement. The topic under discussion was an update on the redesign of Milwaukee County’s Behavioral Health division; the person updating us was describing an all-too-familiar and depressing reality: The group doing the redesign work is comprised of mostly white, upper middle class, suburban people … Continue reading The Art of Knowing What You Don’t Know: Cultural Intelligence, Tamir Rice and Hope for a More Enlightened 2016
Donald J. Trump is a man his supporters would avoid like gay pride parades if he were saying the things he says while unshaven and pushing all his worldly possessions in a shopping cart. But he wears bespoke suits and lives and works in buildings with his name on them. So instead of being called … Continue reading Up from the grave to denounce a naked emperor
Dear Muslims who are terrified of being collateral damage because of yesterday and white men who are terrified of being collateral damage because of all the shootings and massacres. I do not think all of you are terrorists. Sincerely: Amy PS I still think all the legislators who are worshipping at the feet of Wayne LaPierre … Continue reading Dear Non-terrorist Muslims & White Men; Dear Impending Grandson: A pair of open letters
By now, everyone is probably experiencing what it is they experience after a major tragic event that ripples out from wherever it happened and into their daily routine. The day after ISIL/Daesh shared its latest commentary on modern civilization, one of my friends posted this story. It’s dense, but worthwhile for anyone who wants a … Continue reading Muslims, Jews, History, Cities: A Dispatch from Refugee Heaven
Larry David calls Donald Trump a racist on live television. People magazine writes about it. What comes crawling out of the woodwork? The love children of talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. Who are, in turn, the love children of talk show hosts like Father Coughlin and Bob Grant. Here are the … Continue reading Ranting with manners: Donald Trump, Larry David and why Tribe Golden Rule needs to start role modeling polite rage
Saturday night, Sweetheart and I got ready to settle down on the couch for a night of hard-core TV watching. We’d done the grocery shopping, mom-visiting and dog-walking earlier in the day, because a snowstorm was in the weather forecast. Mushroom pie was in the oven, kale salad and a berry pie were in the fridge. … Continue reading Forget the Patriots & Seahawks. Around here, winning means a working furnace and no pogroms
the sentence factory 