First Person Singular | September 2013 - Page 2 of 2

Are You Still Reading the Paper?

September 16, 2013 ⋅ 4 comments

Lugging 2 huge bags of newspapers to the recycling bin, I wondered, why can’t I quit?

Woman with a Newspaper by Richard Diebenkorn

In Search of Wholeness

September 13, 2013 ⋅ 2 comments

In a few hours, I’ll begin my annual 26-hour fast (not that I’m counting) in honor of the Jewish day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. At about this same moment every year, I feel a sense of dread. And then I think, it’s just skipping breakfast and lunch. How hard can that be? The point of the fast and the day at synagogue is to take a break from the mundane to enter the realm of the holy. Contemplating this literally awesome metaphor, it’s good to be reminded that we’re all a little broken, even the angels. And that’s just perfect.

Image by Arianna Palazzi

Fashion Week

September 12, 2013 ⋅ Post a comment

What gets under your skin? Check out our contest.

Photo from newyorkshitty

9/11

September 11, 2013 ⋅ 2 comments

I was at the Toronto Film Festival on 9/11 about to check out of the hotel to fly home to California. For the first 48 hours after the attack, the U.S. border was sealed. And it would be four more terrifying days later before I reached my front door. There was a hushed reverence on the plane ride back, as the flight attendants explained why they were giving us plastic knives with our meal.

Photo by Simon Chaput

Contest: What Advice Gets Under Your Skin?

September 10, 2013 ⋅ 71 comments

Being single after 30 is open season for advice. It’s exhausting, isn’t it? I don’t mean to sound paranoid, but even when it’s not spoken out loud, there’s a whiff in the air that if only you would change… (fill in the blank), you’d find your mate. This contest will give you the chance to vent and win a copy of Aimee Bender’s wonderful new collection of stories, The Color Master. I’m a huge Bender fan (and not just because she’s a friend). To enter, name one thing that people have said to you (about any situation in your life) that in Aimee’s words “has really gotten under your skin. You can’t quite shake it off.”

Submit your entry using the Comments section. Include your first name. If you win, we’ll email for your U.S. shipping address and phone number. By submitting you’ll become an FPS subscriber (if you’re not already). Please submit only one idea per entry, though feel free to enter as often as you like. Deadline is September 20, 2013.

Have You Ever Had a Crush on an Accessory?

September 9, 2013 ⋅ 15 comments

I’m having a wicked crush on a handbag (no, not the Dior above). As with many of my impulsive flings, I’m keeping it from view. I first laid eyes on the purse when I was in San Francisco last month, and can’t stop thinking about it. I imagine what it would feel like to have the bag draped around my shoulders, how the leather would smell, what outfits I’d be wearing and where I’d take it. The purse is very expensive and still a fantasy, which I’m not even sure it could live up to. Help! Has this ever happened to you?

Recipe: Black and White Cookies

September 6, 2013 ⋅ Post a comment

For the last 2 days, I’ve made these black and white cookies for different groups of friends at holiday dinners, and everyone agreed they were a highlight. Go forward with confidence.

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Sweets for the New Year

September 4, 2013 ⋅ 8 comments

I just finished glazing cookies for tonight’s holiday dinner. Aptly called black and whites, they were a treat of my New York City childhood, found in the deli case near the pastrami and potato salad. Whenever I’ve sampled these as an adult, they haven’t lived up to my exalted memory. But I’m trying a recipe from Cook’s Illustrated, which I’ll post in the next few days if the reviews are good.