November 30
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A Movement is a Garden
If people have ever seen one of my gardens, they know they are a little bit scruffy. Not all the plants are in neat rows or bunched in the optimal number. Sometimes the flower colors are a little bit of a mishmash. But even without precision or any illusion of perfect grooming, maintaining my garden […]
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My OpEd in Support of David Gilbert
This piece ran in the September 12, 2021 Times Union, and they graciously agreed to let me republish it on my own website. David goes up for his first-ever Parole Board hearing on September 20, 2021. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am one of thousands of New Yorkers who support the release of David Gilbert from prison for […]
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My Comments for Crime Victim’s Rights Week 2021
I was invited to participate at a media event in support of New York’s Fair and Timely Parole Act and the Elder Parole Bill as part of a 2021 Crime Victim’s Rights Week event on April 22, 2021. I was in an amazing lineup of speakers (mostly other women of color!) who broke down why […]
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The Value of a Broken Heart
These are the remarks I shared during Yom Kippur services 5778 at Kolot Chayeinu at the request of the dear Rabbi Ellen Lippmann. This was part of the Unetaneh Tokef, the prayer that talks about the Book of Life and the sacred power of the day. The Rabbi and I discussed sharing my experience (with my […]
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Am I unsafe, uncomfortable, or somewhere unfamiliar?
I find that so far, my 2017 has had a lot of moments that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable. I’ve had to remind myself to keep thinking, because it’s important to distinguish those feelings from what is actually a problem: when I’ve crossed the line into a situation when I’m unsafe. Why does this matter so […]
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The Other “I-Word” – When will “Illegal” go the way of “Illegitimate?”
The New York Times ran a story about the revelation that the Archbishop of Canterbury’s biological father is not the person listed on his birth certificate. This is not necessarily “news,” except for his high station in the church is unusual for someone who could be described as “illegitimate.” But you won’t see the word “illegitimate” in the Times article. Other news outlets have used the word in the story or headline, but not the Times. That’s right, the newspaper that has rejected the Drop the I-Word campaign and won’t change its style manual to stop using “illegal” or “illegal immigrant” to refer to people based on immigration status has declined to use the other “I-Word” word for a news story when describing the head of the Church of England.