The Canyon That Houses Deep Cuts From My Family’s Past

Forty Miles South of Tucson, Madera Canyon Echoes With Memories of Marriage, Divorce, Loss, and Growing Up

The rustling of the leaves broke the silence as we sat on top of a giant boulder less than a mile up the trail. The rock appeared as if it had been gently placed in that spot, in between the creek and a field of straw-like grass. It was October and it was getting colder as the sun set.

My sister was awfully quiet and I could see the tears welling up in her eyes as my mom and I talked about life before the divorce. My parents separated in …

The Portrait of the Artist’s Mother as an Old Woman

What James McNeill Whistler’s Iconic Painting, Now on Display at the Norton Simon Museum, Says About Its Subject and Her Son

Like the Mona Lisa, James Abbott McNeill Whistler’s Arrangement in Gray and Black No. 1 (1871), better known as “Whistler’s Mother,” is an icon of Western art. Both paintings belong …

The Tenacious Woman Who Helped Deliver Mother’s Day to the U.S.

For Anna Jarvis, a Holiday Devoted to Moms Was Not Sentimental Fluff, But a Practical Exercise in Patriotism

One hundred years ago last May, President Woodrow Wilson signed the first congressional resolution and presidential proclamation calling upon all citizens to display the national flag in honor of American …

How My Grandma Could Solve the ‘End of Life’ Debate

At Almost 100 Years Old, This Strong-Minded Californian Knows That Life (and Death) Isn't So Simple

Seventy-four years ago on a rainy afternoon in Long Beach, a bride in a silk bobbinet gown stood at the back of the Presbyterian Church, preparing to walk down the …

Finding Solace in Other People’s Intimacy

Why I Love Collecting ‘Vintage Ephemera’

Most people collect things, whether it’s casually or compulsively. You might accumulate many pairs of a favorite brand of shoe. Or you might be a Deadhead on a mission to …

Dear Ben Affleck, My Ancestors Were Slaveowners, Too

Get Over Your Guilt. It’s Part of America’s Historic Problem with Race.

Dear Ben,

I’m certain being in the spotlight for not wanting the PBS show Finding Your Roots to include mention of your slave-owning ancestor has been a real pain. The unwanted …