I’ve always believed that words have power. One of my favorite euphemisms for putting a curse on someone is “to put words” on someone–to bind them by the finality and imperviousness of actual words, of letters, the actual building blocks of the universe. And owing to my deep loyalty to this belief, I won’t allow […]

When I was pregnant with my daughter ten years ago, I used to read Winnie the Pooh to her. I’d make all the different voices and sing the little songs, and I’m quite convinced that not only could she hear me, but she enjoyed being sung and cooed to. Babies certainly recognize voices even in […]

I hate Los Angeles.
This might seems strange coming form a born-and-bred Angelino, yet it’s the truth nonetheless. It is no coincidence that when I turned seventeen and went off to college I ran as far away from the City of Angels as possible. My grievances against my hometown are many: it’s crowded, it’s dangerous, it’s […]

My cousin Shannon was the world’s greatest storyteller. Which is to say she was a phenomenal liar.
In fact, my cousin was not only was a brilliant liar, but she told so many lies that my brother and I used to joke that we should assemble and publish a collection of her lies and title the […]

North Hollywood, California, was a truly diabolical place in the 1980s. Which is to say that, guided by the loving paranoia of my family and churchmates, I found Satan absolutely everywhere I looked. He was prevalent in popular music, movies, cartoons, and role-playing games. Watching an hour of MTV was a sure ticket to Hell. […]