As a feminist conversant with the politics of housework, I tried not to be too preoccupied with clean. Then I learned I was allergic to the dustballs under my marital bed. Read more.
Barbara’s Riffs on Life
I Love Pope Francis — Or Do I?
My honeymoon with Catholicism’s newest pope is over. I’m done with getting all goosebumpy over Pope Francis and the tone he’s setting for his church. Read more.
Tori Isner, Poet: ‘You Are a Vehicle for Spirit’
Tori Isner is an adopted Lakota Sioux and — in my opinion — a poet. We’re honored, she says, “just to live, just to be.” Read more.
Weight Lifting Can Kill You — Shall I Email the News to My Weight-Lifting Son?
Weight lifting can kill you. Death by dead lift and dumbbell can sneak up on you long after you’ve put the weights back in the squat rack. Read more.
Crime Novelist David Corbett: Acting Taught Him How to Write Scenes
What’s the best way to master the art of scene writing? By acting out scenes by the playwriting biggies. That’s the advice of writer David Corbett. Read more.
Author Don Lattin: Americans Are More Thoughtful About Religion Than We Think
Religion writer Don Lattin says there’s more to religion in America than atheists vs. fundamentalists. The real story is less alarming and much more interesting. Read more.