This time of year my house is filled with small bouquets. I didn’t grow up in a gardening family, so I came late to growing flowers. Flowers were things that grew in conservatories or in gardens belonging to people who lived in big houses. Flowers grew in small patches or pots, along the side …Read More

Often, when I give someone a book, I make it a habit to put a dated inscription inside. (If I give someone a book, it means I like it A LOT.) And if a bookstore or a reader asks, I delight in signing and inscribing books I’ve written. It’s a very personal, fun thing, yes? …Read More

  People die. That’s it. The End. When I was 12 years old, I couldn’t imagine that life beyond the age of 55 would be worth living (I’ve written about this before, but it keeps coming up.) I forget now why I chose 55. My own grandparents weren’t that much older, though I guess I …Read More