New essay on bone density and lifting weights and my garden.

Artemis II and Peter Magyar.

New essay this week.

Thanks to @saribotton.bsky.social for sharing my essay about Osteoporosis on this weekend’s Oldster roundup!

New essay, out now.

I've been away from Substack for almost two months. For my return, I focus on some uplifting moments—Minneapolis' determined resistance against tyranny and Bad Bunny's all-American Super Bowl performance, to name a couple.

We are seeing a rise in use of AI in all spheres of art and writing. Authors…be warned. It’s harder to generate something truly individual but best to put in the work... professionals can tell the difference.

My latest dispatch from lovely Sicily.

Summer was busy for everyone, myself included. Take a break and catch up on Consider the Spider!

My beloved “wild garden.” My front garden is now a place that shifts in color with the seasons, enjoyed by birds, small creatures, and neighbors on dog-walking adventures.

And then, beyond congested city streets, we were free, on a glorious sunny afternoon...

This week on Consider the Spider: how I satisfy the two halves of my brain while freelancing, plus a podcast rec and my thoughts on Lena Dunham's "Too Much."

Until I met other jazz lovers, I would think of her every time I played a record and say a private thank you.

Come join me on the 29th at Pangea in the East Village! tinyurl.com/july29salon

June was a light month for Consider the Spider but more essays will be coming soon! In the meantime, catch up on Substack.

Writing memoir is time travel.

My review of Prayer for the French Republic:

Since no help is coming for this generation, who can blame young people for choosing their freedom for a bit longer, or maybe forever?

We are in a bar on Likoma Island, a small blotch of land in Lake Malawi, close to the border with Mozambique. It is May 1989 and we are on our honeymoon.

#ICYMI: May on Consider the Spider 🕸️

Today on Consider the Spider: falling birthrates, Ross Douthat, Catholic converts, and more.

So, off we went to summer camp.

My dad talks a lot about not being here forever.

On those days, when I get too lost in my head, I take comfort that a person with almost my name is living his life, working through his own challenges. I remember that I am just one human in the multitudes I’ll never meet.

My thoughts on US v. Combs, and the abuse Cassie Ventura has suffered at the hands of Diddy.

Considering the impact this badass disease has on our productivity and personal joy, we should all be banging on doors lobbying for capsule distention.

Language matters, a lot.

#ICYMI: April on Consider the Spider 🕸️ Read now on Substack.

Teaching offers an introvert like me a chance to share what I’ve learned and to learn from my students who share their lives so honestly during our sessions.

As I emerged out of the dream, I began laughing aloud, at the creative power of my wishful thinking.

Notes from book club.

"I was proud to be part of this exceptional feature of our democracy: a tedious trial by a jury of fellow citizens."

Do it by hand.

"A forbidden adventure nevertheless filled with purpose." 🕸️ Today's throwback: Memories of snowy days in Central Park.

#ICYMI: March on Consider The Spider 🕸️

My current fantasy is for Northeastlandia to join Canada.

The things we carry, and the delights of rediscovery.

On the Edge of Seventeen: sexual awakening and a moment of understanding between a mother and daughter.

This quote from Seneca rings true…except that right now while Trump is weak inside, he has gathered political power, enabled by GOP. Dems and citizens need to fight back with everything against this lawless President and Musk.

Something to think about

Join me and Jennifer Coburn to discuss her latest release at The Bookmark Shoppe in Bay Ridge!

It takes a lot to create any fictional character with the stuff of imagination. It is a special achievement to fully realize characters of a different gender. I examine The Leopard, Howard's End, and the Regeneration trilogy in this week's edition of Consider the Spider.

Remiscing about my days on the Upper West Side, which were mostly spent fighting unwelcome fauna.

My new kind of experiment: small, controlled doses of news and some meaningful action each day, my small part in a show of collective force against the unconstitutional takeover of our government.

#ICYMI: February on Consider The Spider 🕸️

Last month, I was interviewed on the Alpenverein Basecamp (Austrian Alpine Club) podcast. Fast forward to 4:38 to hear my conversation with Michel Mehle about my grandparents!

Between tax preparation and elder care bureaucracy and a funeral, this week was not easy.

On Ulysses' "Circe" episode, Fleabag, and Small Things Like These: