PinnedMember-onlyBeyond Borders: Navigating My Jewish Identity Untethered From Zionism.Holding humanity in the darkest days. — For months now, I’ve been struggling to write, to reclaim my disciplined daily writing practice, my ability to shut out the world for a few hours to say something meaningful or meaningless, just something. …Judaism5 min readJudaism5 min read
PinnedMember-onlyThe Emotional Toll Of Adoption Reunion.Moving beyond the fairy tale narrative. — We walk along the sandy beach, the four of us. My biological father, his second wife, my husband, me. Low tide pulls Brewster Bay so far out, it looks like we could walk to the edge of the earth. I prefer calling him, Hal, my “first” father — he is…Adoption5 min readAdoption5 min read
PinnedMember-onlyThese Are The Days For Tragic Optimism.Viktor Frankl, finding meaning, getting through. — I’m sitting on my bed, still groggy, under-rested, over-caffeinated; legs outstretched on crumpled white sheets and a grey blanket sprinkled with dog hair and gluten free pretzel crumbs. I want to be one of those people who never eats in bed, irons their sheets (has them ironed by someone else!)…Mental Health6 min readMental Health6 min read
PinnedMember-onlyAdoption Is Trauma. Part 2.1972. I’m sitting on the padded peeling black leather seat, bumping up and down in the little yellow school bus as it traverses pot holes. My raincoat is translucent, crisscrossed with red plaid, my soft brown curls pulled into pigtails. The bus pulls into the Robin Hill Nursery School parking…Adoption9 min readAdoption9 min read
PinnedMember-onlyMenopause, Motherhood, And The Orca Whale.Lessons on love and letting go. 6:40 am. Scrolling the internet, sipping coffee, procrastinating packing. I’m visiting my daughter, 24, now living 3,000 miles away. An amazing weekend together. Laughing, talking, long walks in the park. “How about I stay a little longer?” “I would love that.” So here I…Menopause6 min readMenopause6 min read
Sep 24Member-onlyIt’s Raining Men.Sometimes, it all works out in the end. — Jenny Mulaney was many things — kind, smart, generous — athletic was not one of them. She preferred a sedentary life, a sit-on-the-couch, drink cheap red wine, eat cheesy pizza life. She had no Olympic aspirations, no Tour De France fantasies. …Flash Fiction5 min readFlash Fiction5 min read
Published inEllemeno·Aug 31Member-onlyStrikepocalypse: The Hot Labor Summer In Los AngelesThere’s no escaping the heat or the suffering — It’s 103 degrees. People file into the small sun filled backyard, music blares from hidden speakers. Middle aged men in cargo shorts and beer bellies carry cases of Bud or bottles of vodka. Best boys, key grips, camera operators. …Hollywood4 min readHollywood4 min read
Aug 24Member-onlyAmplifying Resilience: Allies Must Get Loud Against Hate.Lauri Carleton was a vital member of my community. — I’m sitting on my bed, early morning, before the sun and the neighbor’s yappy dog awaken, before storm clouds move in. I’m tracking Hurricane Hilary’s path from Mexico to my home in Los Angeles. Cool. I’m in the “high risk of flooding” zone. I open Instagram and see a post…LGBTQ5 min readLGBTQ5 min read
Published inEllemeno·Jul 21Member-onlyI Found My Father On The Internet And Meaning In A MasterpieceAdoption, art, and ways to find ourselves — I don’t know why I woke up in the middle of the night. Excitement, I guess, but I woke up and saw her text. She was not in Barcelona, she was in Madrid. Fuck, what? No. Shit. So right there on my phone, in the dark, trying not to wake…Memoir7 min readMemoir7 min read
Published inThoughts And Ideas·Jun 24Member-onlyA Very Brief Tale About The Trauma Of Forced Birth.We sat in the living room of his swanky Paris apartment, a tall blonde Slovakian maid in formal dress quietly delivered a silver tray with a plate of cookies and then discreetly disappeared. Andrew, my birth mother’s husband, sat stiffly in a chair, his ankles crossed revealing elegant navy cashmere…Abortion Rights2 min readAbortion Rights2 min read
