Blog
LOSING MY EYE AND GAINING A FAKE ONE: Art Meets Science in the Making of a Prosthetic Eye (plus FAQ)
I’d never heard of ocular/uveal melanoma before I was told I had it. Odds: six in a million. My vision in my right eye had become blurry. I thought it was my cataract progressing. Surprise. Had my ophthalmologist been using early detection retinal imaging, it would have been caught sooner, the tumor small enough to…
Read MorePASSION ALWAYS WINS: How Lenny Horowitz Helped Transform Me and Miami’s South Beach Almost Fifty Years Ago
It was 1977. I didn’t think Barbara Capitman and Lenny Horowitz could throw a tea party much less transform the decrepit lower end of Miami Beach into the “Riviera of the South.” Through my flippant 21-year-old eyes it was where hippies went to score pot, the downtrodden bet on greyhounds, and old people…
Read MoreWHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THE JAPANESE
Japan was on my husband’s bucket list, not mine. How long a pane ride? What about the language barrier? Now I’m so in love with Japan (and sumo wrestling!) I’m pushing to go back. What has stayed with me the most is the thoughtfulness of the Japanese; a unique culture centered on beauty (even the…
Read MoreMY TRAIL CAMERA OBSESSION: Tips and Triumphs from Spying on Wildlife
Depending on where you live, a variety of wildlife may be having a convention on your property while you sleep. See for yourself what happens at night and during the day with a trail camera. Strap it to a tree, sit it on a table, be creative. WHAT TO BUY It’s possible to spend…
Read MoreSUMO WRESTLING: How I unexpectedly fell in love with an ancient Japanese tradition
I’m not much of a sports fan. I mainly watch the Super Bowl for the ads and halftime show. But when my husband and I were planning our first trip to Japan, to his surprise I suggested we take in sumo wrestling. I saw it as quintessential Japanese entertainment, like a tea ceremony with a…
Read MoreMASKS FOR LIFE: Wearing a mask is liberating. I’m not saying good-bye for good to mine yet.
It took me a nanosecond to embrace wearing a mask when the pandemic hit. Aside from deterring all airborne infections and reducing the risk to others, it checked these boxes: • No one sees my “phony smile” • No one sees me talking to myself • No one sees my Resting Bitch Face Nor did…
Read MoreOPPOSITES ATTACK: THE AUDIOBOOK. A long journey and rebirth
Bonjour! Summer is here and the thrill of new travel odysseys beckon. I’m thrilled to share that my culture clash novel set in the South of France, Opposites Attack, is finally an audiobook. For various reasons, the project kept dying on the vine like Viognier grapes in a drought. And then, life burst forth. There’s even…
Read MoreQ&A: Jill McCorkle on dolls, dollhouses, tiny objects and what they have to do with writing and life
“I have always loved dolls. And yes, there are still within the love, those that have creeped me out!” – Jill McCorkle Jill McCorkle is a bestselling, award-winning author of unforgettable novels and short stories. She was a Briggs-Copeland Lecturer in Fiction at Harvard, where she also chaired the department of creative writing.…
Read MoreBONNE JOURNÉE: How My French Work Exchange Journey Led to a New Life and Love
Hotel de Cours de Thomazeau in Castillonnes, France. A few years ago I stumbled on the blog Enjoy Living Abroad and began a vicarious journey through Karen McCann and her husband Rich. In 2004, these intrepid Americans decided to live one year in Seville. They’re still there. If you’ve ever dreamed of living abroad or…
Read MoreZERK ‘EM: Another surprise in a pile of old family papers
In honor of Aviation History Month, Veteran’s Day, and my father’s birthday, I’m sharing a peek at a treasure I unearthed when his widow died. I was asked by her executor if I would like his papers. What papers?, I thought. When he passed she became obsessed with ballroom dancing and turned his office into…
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