PinnedMember-onlyAbortion: a love storyI had many abortions. So many I can’t clearly remember whether it was four or five. I do remember four moments of when I said, “Oh shit. I have to get an abortion.” But I can’t quite remember the fifth. Yet that number is the one I have given to…Abortion6 min readAbortion6 min read
Published in engendered·Oct 11, 2021Member-only“Columbus wasn’t Italian”I never had a strong attachment to Columbus Day as a holiday for and celebrated by Italian Americans because of my father, the person who gave me the Italian heritage. Born in Chicago in February 1917 to Maria and Galileo, my dad grew up, speaking all Italian in his first…Racism4 min readRacism4 min read
Published in engendered·Sep 29, 2021Member-onlyHey radio stations, time to retire “Sweet Home Alabama”“In Birmingham, they love the governor … Now we all did what we could do.” - “Sweet Home Alabama” Driving home, I was listening to a Boomer-era rock station, and the iconic guitar lick signaling the introduction of “Sweet Home Alabama” blared through the car speaker. It was the summer…Music6 min readMusic6 min read
Aug 31, 2021Member-onlyIllinois becomes first state to require media literacy for high schoolersAmidst a new era of widespread misinformation on elections, the COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccines, some states are pushing back: Illinois recently enacted a law requiring high schools to teach media literacy. While many schools in the state and throughout the country teach media literacy in some way or another, Illinois…Education5 min readEducation5 min read
Aug 25, 2021Member-onlyMouth space and the quest for the perfect biteMy early life was marked by the American Dream. No. Not home ownership. The other American Dream: straight teeth, a stunning smile and a perfect bite. In order to achieve this dream, my mouth needed space. More space than I was born with, apparently. …Mwc Space4 min readMwc Space4 min read
Aug 12, 2021Member-onlyLearning to love swimming in Lake MichiganThe ferocity of the waves can not be captured in a single photo of a rising sun, although my swim buddy, Aliza, tries. The waves’ height are, according to Lake Michigan Buoy #45174, 4.3 ft., coming every 6 secs. They hit the shallow sandy bottom and break with energy that…Mwc Reentry5 min readMwc Reentry5 min read
Jul 31, 2021Member-onlySwimming Social: Systemic sexual harassment uncovered at Chicago Park DistrictPhotos of Blackhawk Park pool prohibited — I don’t like swimming in 20-yard pools because it’s an extra flip turn in the 100-yard sets. I swam backstroke in high school and many, many schools have 20-yard pools. I always loved when we were at a school with a 25-yard pool because I would swim faster. …Sports8 min readSports8 min read
Jul 14, 2021Member-onlySwimming Social returns! To Austin Town Hall Park, we goAfter the long Covid-hiatus, the “swim sisters” return to Chicago Park poolsSociety10 min readSociety10 min read
Jun 15, 2021Member-onlyWhat’s Happening in IllinoisState lawmakers have passed and Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed into law significant progressive reforms — Illinois made national headlines this year, and not for corruption or another governor going to prison. (Since the 1960s, four former Illinois governors, three Democrats and one Republican, have been incarcerated.) Instead, the headlines reflected groundbreaking steps the state has taken toward addressing systemic racism.Politics10 min readPolitics10 min read
Published in Political Sense·Mar 8, 2021Member-onlyWhy the American Rescue Plan is a BFDWhen Joe Biden was vice president, he congratulated then-President Barack Obama for signing into law the Affordable Care Act by famously whispering into his ear: This is a big fucking deal. Which was caught by a hot mic. Never letting a good gaff go to waste, Organizing for America, the…Politics5 min readPolitics5 min read
