This month is my 52nd anniversary of being a professional writer. Please note that in this reference “professional” merely indicates I’ve been paid to do it; it’s not a self-lauding of the writing’s quality.
Reaching A 52-Year Smilestone
read more
THE GOLDMAN STATE
Family
The Two Words My Parents (And Maybe Yours) Objected To
When we were kids, the two-word expression that my parents considered the vilest thing for my brothers and me to say was “Shut up!”
In Celebration Of My Daughter’s Birthday
My daughter was born on Easter Sunday 36 years ago today.
A Tribute To My Brother On His 81st Birthday
I have a cherished memory of my big brother Jerry, who’s scheduled to turn 81 today, barring any Breaking News on CNN.
A Final Word Or Two About Losing a Pet
When I shared the recent passing of my adored little tabby, Osborn the Magnificent, who spent 14 of his 19 years with me, I learned a great deal about people and pets.
Requiem for a Family Member: Osborn the Magnificent Passes
If reading a sentimental slob’s account of the passing of his beloved pet upsets you, please consider yourself warned. My cat, Osborn the Magnificent, died on August 11. He had just turned 19 on July 14, Bastille Day.
Today Is Both Bastille and Osborn Day
I have two birthdays to celebrate today: Bastille Day turns 232, and Osborn the Magnificent, my cat, turns 19.
A Father’s Day Message That Could Even Be Verse
This year, I think, I won’t succumb
To Hallmark Dad’s-Day rhetoric.
Of Moms and Madness: A Brief Memoir
May’s milestones include May Day itself, which is also Labor Day in Mexico; the National day of Prayer and, probably little-known to non-Muslims, Eid al-Fitr, which is the conclusion of the month-long dawn-to-dusk fast of Ramadan and a test of your pronunciation skills. Sometimes, “sound it out” is woefully inept advice.
For My Daughter, on the Eve of Her 35th Birthday
My daughter—writer-director-singer-actress-publisher Jessica Laskey—turns 35 tomorrow. This happens to be the same age her mom and I were when she was born on Easter Sunday in 1986, completely upsetting our brunch plans.
