​I wrote a book about books! A companion to the PBS series of the same name, The Great American Read: The Book of Books features tidbits, trivia, and tantalizing facts about 100 great novels.

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​Being pregnant forces me to confront a lifetime of superstitious, slightly crazy behavior. The behavior mostly wins. 

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Thank you for your interest in stealing my identity.  

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I wrote an essay about how reading Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower alongside and against The Diary of Anne Frank benefits both [in print only].

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​I went to Mongolia to see horses . . . then I ate one.

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I understand the litigious impulse. When my son was born, I thought seriously about suing him for ruining my vagina. Everyone says the lady bits eventually go back to normal, but how is that possible? Some things, like Laffy Taffy or a LIVESTRONG bracelet, can’t be unstretched. ​

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   ​Of all the words I've written, "writer" has given me the most trouble.

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​At a young age, I realized two key facts about myself: I like books, and I have a lousy memory.

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​Nine things said over a hospital bed

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​ One time we found a goat's head in Upper Manhattan.

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Telling stories to my kid on the street helped cure a bout of writer's block.

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​There’s the age you are and the age you feel, and there’s nothing like a 20-mile hike on a Nicaraguan volcano to remind you of the difference.

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​The five worst things about trying to get pregnant

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