A Farewell to Glimmer Train Press
I just got a notice that Glimmer Train Stories is wrapping up soon after 30 years of publication. I have a soft spot for this attractive little journal, which I felt from the start had a very different, and dare I say refreshingly feminine feel. Watercolors, pastels, hand-drawn story illustrations, author child photos...casual warmth in an industry marked by minimalism or much dour self-seriousness. The two sisters published some of my earliest stories and interviews as a you
An Exercise in Democracy, Arlington Patriots-style
A traditional opening Minuteman march was just an awesome way to kick things off and get in the mood for my first-ever experience as a newly-elected member of the Arlington, Massachusetts Town Meeting. Fife-and-drums, wireless voting machines, a heavy docket of agenda items that will surely have us coming back for many nights' deliberations to come -- all gave me a wonderful, fresh perspective on what goes into planning, building, and maintaining a successful town with all it