Writing
My month of no snark
Published on Mar 28, 2011 in Salon
The benefits of biting your tongue.
"Last week, if you'd asked me what I thought of Gadhafi, I'd have said something like, "I appreciate his whimsical taste in uniforms." That's because I'd vowed for one month to live up to the gold standard we all internalized to some degree as children: If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."
Read MoreHouston, We Have Contractions
Published on Feb 9, 2011 in The Morning News
A baby may be a tiny step for mankind, but it’s a giant one for new parents, especially the adult diapers part. LAUREN FREY DAISLEY unveils the space-exploration secrets of giving birth.
"During my third trimester, I read Mary Roach’s Packing for Mars, which is about the logistics of space travel. So when I was recovering from the birth, astronauts were fresh in my mind—it turns out they have a lot in common with new mothers. Weightlessness: Wishing to find out how reduced gravity affected pregnancy, NASA sent rats into space for the final two weeks of their pregnancies. Luckily, humans were spared the experience; at 38 weeks, it’s hard enough to get around on Earth..."
Read MoreSinging it Over Again
Published on Sep 30, 2010 in The Morning News
When you’re used to regular doses of applause, giving up the stage for a 9-to-5 gig can produce acute withdrawal. LAUREN FREY DAISLEY reclaims her past glory by singing backup.
"Danny Trejo, a former bank robber and all-around thug who has since acted in 183 films, was recently quoted as saying, “There’s no adrenaline rush like [crime]. The only adrenaline rush I ever felt like that was when I heard [the director] yell, ‘Action!’ I just totally got hooked.” My crime history doesn’t extend much beyond stealing a pair of bowling shoes in high school, but I can relate to what he’s saying about performing. It’s always made me feel like I just walked out of a bank carting a wheelbarrow full of gold Krugerrands..."
New Year’s Realizations
Published on Dec 17, 2009 in The Morning News
Before tackling our shortcomings in January, we thought it would be good to celebrate the year in personal bests. TMN staff and readers share their proudest moments.
"American author Jessamyn West wrote, 'Family, friends, and society are the natural enemies of the writer. He must be alone, uninterrupted, and slightly savage if he is to sustain and complete an undertaking.' What that statement really means is that West didn’t own an alarm clock."
Read MoreThis Loop of Light and Life
Published on Jul 29, 2009 in The Morning News
The supernatural is all sheets and spooks—Hamlet, Casper, and Field of Dreams—until it’s sitting in your bedroom.
"Hours after I’d gone to bed—this was August of 1989, I was 11—my mother woke me by walking into my room dressed in stupid clothes. Stuff she never wore: a fuchsia and turquoise striped T-shirt with little white-capped sleeves, and turquoise short shorts. She looked like a child. She clutched a handbag in front of her with both hands."
Read More