TIME Magazine online picked up my post from earlier this week on whether a parent might regret bearing a child who inherits a difficult, painful genetic disorder. (TIME.com has a cooperative agreement with Patheos that allows them to select several Patheos posts every week for publication on their site.) The post is being shared widely, by those living with genetic conditions and many others. It has been fun to see its reach multiply via social media, especially as most of the... Read more
But while I sometimes wish I could have spared my daughter her genetic fate, I’m also profoundly grateful that it was not in my power to decide what kind of kid I would get. Read more
There's a lot that's troubling about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. But I'm more convinced than I used to be that it did some short-term good, and even (slightly) hopeful that it could bring about lasting change. Read more
After reading my post on 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Memoir, a colleague asked me to name some of my favorites memoirs/memoirists. Here’s my list. It’s worth noting that few of these writers’ memoirs are about freaky, strange life events. Rather, most of these memoirs are about growing up, having children, being married, working, and other fairly universal, seldom tragic or odd, experiences. More proof that what makes a great memoir isn’t an unusual or fraught story, but great writing.... Read more
A friend recently asked for support and prayers during a particularly stressful time. Her worries would be recognizable to many of us—a too-tight budget, the exhausting juggling act of child care and work, living far from family members who could provide some much-needed daily support, a recent move to a town where they don’t yet have close friends. Add to these worries that her third baby is due any day, after a difficult pregnancy, and it’s no wonder my friend... Read more
It’s normal for me to be less productive in the final weeks of August, as we try to squeeze all the stuff we planned to do over the summer into the final few days. But I was more sidetracked than usual this August. Besides a calendar dominated by school supply shopping, orthodontist and haircut appointments, and a lovely long weekend on Cape Cod, I’ve had a thing going on with my kidney. For some reason, I feel kind of embarrassed about... Read more
We spend a lot of time and effort in our culture to encourage our kids to find their talents and hone them. This time of year, I’m beginning to piece together the after-school schedule, figuring out how I can get one child from point A to point B and pick up another child from school, all at around the same time every Wednesday afternoon. This task is a pain in the neck, but I do it because my children are... Read more
Let’s make one thing clear up front: I am drawing here on my experience as an avid memoir reader, not as a memoir writer. I have one book to my name, and while it is partly a memoir and was well-reviewed, having written one memoir does not make me an expert in writing memoir. But I think I can reasonably claim expertise in reading memoir. Memoir has always been a favorite genre, and most of the books that I review for Patheos book clubs... Read more
Last weekend, my husband and I drove to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to pick our daughter Leah up from the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) summer course at King’s College. The children’s choir at our Episcopal Church is based on the RSCM model, and every summer several of our choristers head to Pennsylvania and other sites to spend a week singing sacred music with other children and adults from around the country. The week closes with a Festal Evensong, which we got to hear... Read more
On the Washington Post web site, I came across an edited version of Janice Lynch Schuster’s story about chronic pain and opioid use. (The edited version is here, while the longer, more complete version is here on the HealthAffairs.org web site. I quote here from the original, longer HealthAffairs version.) The basic story is that Schuster had what she expected to be routine oral surgery that has led to agonizing, ongoing pain in her tongue and mouth. Her oral surgeon,... Read more
Ellen Painter Dollar
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